Sesshomaru's Daughter
by sycoandcrazy.inc
Summary: Au. Sesshomaru made one mistake, and it is costing him more than he ever dreamed. When tragedy strikes, will Sesshomaru be able to protect his daughter and his country?
1. Chapter 1

Okay, Crazy here. I promised myself and Syco no new stories until our other two were finished. But I really want to know what other people think about this. Ah well.

And just to warn you, Sesshomaru might be a bit out of character, but I'm going to try and keep him in character as much as possible.

And no, I do not own Inuyasha, but I do own all original characters.

* * *

In the Western Lands, times were good. There were no wars, no famines, or droughts. There were no diseases scouring the land. The West was ruled by a fair Lord, who was married to a beautiful Lady, and had three young sons, and a fourth child on the way. Life was good, and everyone was happy.

Well, almost everyone was happy. One woman wasn't. In fact, she felt downright murderous. They say that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. The Western Lord was about to discover how true this fact was.

Lilianna sat on the balcony of her bedroom looking out over the gardens. From her seat she could see her three sons torturing poor Jaken. Her eldest was the spitting image of his father. She and Sesshomaru had named him Inutaisho after his grandfather. The other two were about three years younger than the thirteen year old Inutaisho. The twins, Kit and Kat, had inherited her pink hair and their fathers golden eyes. They also had a blue crescent moon on their foreheads, and one stripe on each cheek.

Lilianna reflectively rubbed the bulge of her stomach. She was five months along now. Her lips curved in a smile as she thought about her soon to be born daughter. She wondered who the unborn child would resemble most, her or Sesshomaru. Perhaps she would be a mix of their looks. A small laugh escaped her lips as she also wondered how spoiled the girl would be. After all, she was the very first daughter she and Sesshomaru were going to have.

Lilianna looked wistfully past the walls. If only Sesshomaru hadn't had to go to the Southern Lands this week…

"My lady?"

Lilianna turned her attention to the servant woman who had entered the room. It was Dusty. She was a human who had served Lilianna for the past several years. "Yes, Dusty?"

"Your bath is ready, my lady."

Lilianna nodded. She stood and walked inside her bed room, closing the door to the balcony behind her. Lilianna stopped in puzzlement as Dusty abruptly locked the door. "Dusty, what are you doing?"

Dusty didn't reply, just walked past Lilianna and locked the balcony doors as well. Alarm bells were now going off in Lilianna's head. "Dusty?"

Dusty turned to face Lilianna and raised her hands. Black chains leapt out of the ground, and wrapped around Lilianna. Lilianna immediately tried to bring up her energy to get rid of the chains, but received only burns for her effort.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Dusty said. "You'll only get hurt."

"What do you think you're doing, Dusty?" Lilianna asked.

Dusty glared. "My name isn't Dusty. I was never named Dusty. I just said that to make sure Sesshomaru wouldn't recognize me. Looks like I needn't have bothered though. He's forgotten me completely. I could have gone by Yuki this whole time."

Lilianna swallowed. "What are you talking about?"

Yuki sat on the bed, a bitter smile on her lips. "Of course you don't know. Sesshomaru would never have told you that he had a human lover before you got married."

Lilianna felt cold shock wash over her. Not so much at the fact that Sesshomaru had had a lover. Truth be told, Lilianna would have been surprised if he hadn't had one. But it was shocking to learn that he'd had a human lover. Humans were below yokai. Yokai did not associate with humans on equal terms, and certainly never as lovers.

"You're lying," Lilianna said. "Sesshomaru would have recognized you if you were really his lover. He wouldn't forget something like that."

Yuki just chuckled. "You think the only thing I changed about myself was my name? I had hoped you thought better of me. After all, not all humans are complete idiots." Yuki raised her arm and pulled off a bracelet. Suddenly her looks changed. No longer was a slightly plump woman with graying hair and light brown eyes in her fifties sitting on the bed, but a slender woman with long black hair, full lips, and dark brown eyes in her mid thirties. She was a beauty even now when she was starting to leave her prime. Lilianna could imagine how beautiful she'd been when she was young.

"So, what do you plan to do now, Yuki," Lilianna said.

"I plan to get my revenge," Yuki said.

"Revenge for what?" Lilianna asked.

"Revenge on Sesshomaru for making me believe that he loved me. I could have handled him leaving if he had never made me think that he loved me. That was cruel beyond anything else." Yuki stopped speaking for a moment, and to Lilianna's utter astonishment, Yuki had to fight back tears.

"So, you think to try and kill me?" Lilianna asked.

Yuki shook her head. "No. That was the plan at first, but as the years went by I realized none of it was your fault. You had no idea that I existed. Killing you wouldn't be right. Besides, I've thought of a better way to hurt Sesshomaru. It is going to hurt you as well, but I'm afraid that's unavoidable."

Lilianna's eyes narrowed. She had to keep Yuki talking. Soon now, the guards should notice this strange energy in her room and come.

As if to echo her thoughts, there was a sudden bang on her bedroom door. Yuki jumped slightly, startled. "Well, it looks like we've spent too much time talking. I'd better get on with this."

Yuki walked forward and placed her hands on Lilianna's stomach. Lilianna tried, unsuccessfully, to jerk away. "What are you doing?" Lilianna demanded.

"Don't worry; your daughter will be fine. I'm just going to make her a human."

Before Lilianna could respond, Yuki's hands began to glow white. The white light of Yuki's hands went inside of Lilianna, and began to change her daughter. Lilianna could feel it happening. Her baby was being turned human, and nothing Lilianna did could stop it.

Abruptly the glow around Yuki's hands vanished. "Good bye, my lady," Yuki said looking up at Lilianna. Then she vanished, and the chains and wards vanished with her.

As Lilianna fell to the ground, the guards busted through the door and rushed to her. Lilianna couldn't understand what they were saying to her, so filled with horror at what had happened was she. Lilianna opened her mouth and screamed.

* * *

Sesshomaru sat back in his seat at the Southern Lord's Table. They had almost finished writing the new trade agreements, and Sesshomaru was glad to have this over with. He wanted to get back to Lilianna and his boys.

Akira stood, calling Sesshomaru's thoughts back to the present. "Well," the golden haired kitsune said with a smile, "I think we've done enough for today. Besides, it's almost dinner time. Shall we go?"

Sesshomaru stood with a nod. "Yes, let's go."

They left the small conference room and walked down the hall towards the dinning room. Sesshomaru tried to ignore any kitsunes they passed. These people had no sense of shame.

Suddenly a young kitsune ran up to them. "Ah, Lord Akira, there is a messenger from the West at the gate demanding to see Lord Sesshomaru."

Akira nodded. "Well then we'd best go see what this is about."

Akira and Sesshomaru went quickly to the front gate where the messenger was supposed to be waiting. A quick study of the exhausted messenger confirmed Sesshomaru's fear that something was wrong at home. It looked as though the messenger had run nonstop from the West to get here.

"What is your message?" Sesshomaru asked coldly.

The messenger threw a quick salute. "Something is wrong what the Lady Lilianna."

Sesshomaru's stomach clenched. "What happened?"

"We aren't sure my Lord. But four days ago now, an unknown presence was sensed in her room. The guards went to investigate, but were unable to get in until the person had left. As far as anyone could tell, Lady Lilianna wasn't hurt, but she wouldn't stop crying, and wouldn't tell anyone what had happened. She just kept asking for you."

Sesshomaru turned to Akira, but Akira held up his hand to prevent Sesshomaru from speaking. "Go ahead," Akira said. "The trade agreements can wait. And we'll take care of your messenger until he's rested enough to return."

Sesshomaru nodded his thanks. He summoned his cloud, and then flew away.

Two days later he was walking down the halls of his palace. He had cut the trip down as much as he could, but still he felt it hadn't been quick enough. He walked into the room he shared with Lilianna to see his wife sitting in their bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. She looked up when he came into the room, and fresh tears flowed from her eyes.

Sesshomaru crossed the room and caught her up in his arms. "What is it, Lilianna? What happened?"

Lilianna was clinging to Sesshomaru as though her life depended on it. Taking a shuddering breath and told Sesshomaru everything that had happened. Sesshomaru sat, disbelief filling him. He remembered Yuki. She had been so beautiful when he'd first seen her all those years ago. The most beautiful human he'd ever seen, more beautiful than many yokai even. She'd been so vibrant, so full of life…he hadn't been able to resist making her his lover.

He also remembered when he'd told her that it was over. He remembered her beautiful face contorted with hurt and rage. He'd been surprised to find out that she'd thought he loved her. He'd never told her that he loved her, though looking back now he could see how she'd come to that misconception. He also remembered her swearing to get him back. He hadn't taken her seriously. After all, she was just a human. Now he wished that he'd killed her then.

"What are we going to do, Sesshomaru?" Lilianna asked.

"I don't know," Sesshomaru whispered.

"I don't know anything about human children," Lilianna continued, looking worried. "How will we raise her?"

Sesshomaru shook his head again. "I don't know, Lilianna. I just don't know."

Weeks went by, and the news spread that the newest child of the Lord and Lady of the West was to be a human. Weeks went by, and neither Sesshomaru nor Lilianna could think of what to do.

Finally, one rainy evening while they sat in their sitting room, Lilianna hesitantly offered a suggestion. "Sesshomaru, I've been thinking. What if we asked Inuyasha's wife to come and help?"

Lilianna's suggestion was met with a cold glare. That Sesshomaru despised his half brother was no secret. No one ever mentioned him, and most didn't even think about Inuyasha for fear that Sesshomaru would know.

"We will not."

"Sesshomaru, please. Who better is there to help us? We have to have a human to teach us how to raise her. Inuyasha's wife is a miko. Or would you rather us just find a random person to help us? At least we know her a little."

Sesshomaru looked away, but not before Lilianna saw the struggle in his eyes. He despised Inuyasha, and the thought of asking any human for help was disgusting to him. But at the same time, he wanted to do what was best for his daughter, and getting a human's help was what was best for her. Finally, Sesshomaru bowed his head in defeat. "Very well. I will send someone for her."

Lilianna placed her hand over his. "Thank you."

Well, that's the first Chapter of Sesshomaru's Daughter. I hope you all liked it. Please let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, Crazy here. I was going to wait until Saturday to post this, but I'm going to be extremely busy this weekend, so I thought I'd go ahead and post it now, when I'm not so busy. Oh, and I would like to thank Electromagnetic Powers Rule for reviewing. I really appreciate it!

And no, I do not own Inuyasha. Wish I did, 'cause then I'd be rich. Ah well. Such is life.

Now, enjoy the next chapter of Sesshomaru's Daughter!

* * *

Inuyasha sat on the porch of his house and watched as Kagome gave lessons to their ten year old daughter, Isamu. Isamu was going to make a fine miko one day, just like her mother. Inuyasha's ear twitched as he heard his youngest daughter, a girl of three, wake up inside the house. He went inside and found her sitting up in her bed yawning. She blinked her golden eyes, and smiled up at him.

"Hey, Ran. Did you have a good nap?"

"Yes," Ran said with a smile as she lifted her arms to be held.

Inuyasha obligingly picked her up and held her close. He brushed her black hair away from her face. There were times when he couldn't believe that he was lucky enough to be married to Kagome and have these two beautiful daughters.

"Where Mama?" Ran asked.

"She's outside with Isamu. Want to go see them?"

"Yes," Ran said with a nod.

Inuyasha walked back outside. It seemed that Kagome and Isamu were done with their lesson for the day.

"Hi you!" Ran called to announce their presence.

Kagome and Isamu walked over, both smiling. "Hi you," Kagome said with a laugh. She held out her arms, and Ran went to her happily.

Inuyasha patted Isamu's white hair with a smile. "You're doing good Isamu."

Isamu smiled up at him, her brown eyes dancing. "Thank you, daddy."

Suddenly Inuyasha's head snapped up, looking towards the forest beyond the village.

"What is it?" asked Kagome.

"Yokai. Get Sango and Miroku. This could mean trouble."

Kagome nodded and took Isamu's hand. "Be careful, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha nodded and took off at a run. He went to the clearing where the well was and found an inu yokai waiting for him there. "What do you want?" Inuyasha demanded his hand on his sword hilt.

The purple haired yokai held up his hands in a non threatening gesture. "I'm not here to fight," he said. "I merely wish to speak with you."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, and didn't remove his hand from his sword. If this was a trap he would be ready. "All right, I'm listening."

"I bring you a message from Lord Sesshomaru. He requests the presence of you and your wife."

This was hardly what Inuyasha had expected. He hadn't seen or heard of Sesshomaru in years…not since Naraku had been killed. "Why?" Inuyasha asked.

"Might we wait until your wife arrives so I do not have to repeat myself?" the inu yokai asked.

Inuyasha thought a moment and nodded. "Very well, we'll wait."

They didn't have to wait long. Moments later Kagome arrived with Miroku and Sango in tow. The three seemed surprised that there wasn't a huge battle going on, but went to stand behind Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, what's going on?" Kagome asked.

"Apparently Sesshomaru sent this guy to come get me and you," Inuyasha said.

"Why?" Kagome asked, watching the man with renewed suspicion.

"If you will allow me to explain," the yokai said. "My name is Shen. I am one of Lord Sesshomaru's generals."

"Sesshomaru has generals?" Miroku asked with evident surprise.

Shen raised and eyebrow, obviously not used to being interrupted, and by a human no less. "Of course he does. He is Lord of the West after all."

"I always just thought that toad made up the title of Lord for him," Miroku mused. "I never thought he was really a Lord."

"I can assure you, he is," Shen said. Then he returned his attention to Kagome and Inuyasha. "The reason I'm here is because tragedy has lately befallen him and his Lady wife."

"Wife!" exclaimed Inuyasha in shock. "He was actually able to find someone crazy enough to marry him?"

Shen's jaw tightened and a dangerous spark lit his green eyes. "I would appreciate it if you did not insult Lord Sesshomaru in such a manner."

"Keh. He's my brother, I'll insult him however I want."

"Quiet Inuyasha," Kagome snapped. "Now, sir what tragedy are you talking about?"

Taking a deep breath, Shen continued. "Lady Lilianna was recently cursed. Or more specifically, her unborn child was. Their child, instead of being born an inu yokai like it should be, will be human instead."

"A curse like that is actually possible?" Sango said with shock.

"Unfortunately, yes. So you see the problem. Lilianna and Sesshomaru are both inu yokai. They do not know how to deal with a human baby. They request that Kagome come and help them learn what they need to know. Of course, Inuyasha, you are welcome as well. They don't really expect you to let her come alone."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to refuse the summons, but Kagome spoke first. "We're going to have to think this over."

The general nodded. "I expected as much. I will meet you here tomorrow morning." He then turned and walked away.

Once he was gone, the four returned to Inuyasha and Kagome's home.

"So, what are you two going to do?" Miroku asked when they were seated.

"Refuse of course," said Inuyasha crossing his arms.

"I'm not so sure we can," said Kagome.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked with a look of disbelief. "You want to help Sesshomaru after he tried to kill us so many times?"

"I'm not fond of Sesshomaru either, Inuyasha," Kagome said with a sigh, "but think about the baby. Like Shen said, Sesshomaru and his wife will have no idea how to raise it. Who knows what could happen to the poor thing? Don't think of it as helping Sesshomaru. Think of it as helping your niece or nephew."

Inuyasha glared, and then sighed. "How long will this take?"

"Most likely several months," Sango said. "After all, you don't know how far along this Lilianna is, or how long after the baby is born you will have to stay and help out."

Miroku nodded in agreement. "This could wind up taking a while."

"And what will we do with the girls during this time?" Inuyasha asked Kagome.

"We'll take them with us," Kagome said. "After all, we can't just leave them alone for months on end, and besides that Isamu must keep training daily."

Inuyasha frowned, obviously not liking the thought of his children in Sesshomaru's home. "I really don't like this."

"We have to," Kagome argued. "If we don't and something happens to their child it would be our fault. I for one do not want the blood of a child on my hands."

Inuyasha sighed again. "Fine, we'll go help him. But it is only for the kid's sake!"

Kagome smiled sweetly at Inuyasha. "Of course. We all know you would never do anything for Sesshomaru."

* * *

Well, that's it for now. I hope you all enjoyed. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, Crazy here again. I'd planned to post this Saturday, but I have to work Saturday, so you get the next chapter early. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

And no, I do not own Inuyasha.

* * *

The next morning Kagome and Inuyasha met with Shen alone.

"What have you decided?" he asked.

"We'll come," Inuyasha said.

"Good," Shen said nodding. "Let us leave then."

"Leave now?" Kagome asked in surprise. "Are you crazy? I'll need all day to pack at least."

Shen frowned. "They said for you to come as soon as possible."

Kagome dismissed his words with a wave of her hand. "And we will. However, it is not possible to leave now. We'll leave tomorrow."

Shen's jaw tightened at being so ignored by a human. He opened his mouth to speak, and then saw the dangerous look in Inuyasha's eyes, and closed his mouth again. Not that Shen thought Inuyasha could beat him. No, Shen was worried that he'd wind up killing Inuyasha if they got in a fight, because that would certainly keep Kagome from giving her help, which would anger Lord Sesshomaru to no end. So Shen simply nodded his head in acceptance.

The next day Shen waited impatiently for them to arrive. If he'd had his way, he'd have dragged Kagome back to the castle the first day he'd arrived. However, that would have defeated the purpose of getting her to actually help them. Not to mention that they would have had to have dealt with the nuisance of Inuyasha coming after them. So, he'd been forced to wait on them.

Finally Inuyasha and Kagome came through the trees. However, much to Shen's surprise, they were bringing two children with them.

"You're bringing children?" he asked doubtfully.

"Of course," Kagome replied. "We're going on a long trip, why would I leave my children behind?"

Shen nodded, masking his surprise. He'd been unaware that Kagome and Inuyasha had children. Most likely Lord Sesshomaru didn't know either.

"Isamu, Ran, this is General Shen. Be polite," Kagome said speaking to her daughters.

The eldest looked at Shen shyly and bowed politely in greeting. The younger girl, who was being held by Inuyasha, had none of her sister's shyness. She smiled at Shen brightly and said, "Hi you!"

"Let's go then," Shen said and started walking. Inwardly he cursed. Having to go this slow would lengthen the trip considerably. It would take at least a week of travel at this rate. A pity the children couldn't be left behind.

It wasn't long before Shen was really wishing they could have left the kids in that village. It seemed Ran did not know how to be silent. She kept chattering in that barely comprehensible baby talk. At least Isamu was fairly silent, for which he was thankful. It was mostly Kagome who kept talking to Ran.

"Daddy, I'm tired," Isamu eventually said to Inuyasha.

Shen ground his teeth. If they asked to stop after barely three hours travel he would have to go kill something to get rid of his frustration. Luckily for him, Inuyasha just gave Ran to Kagome and picked Isamu up. He hoped that would be the last request from the children for a while. However…

"Mama, I want food!" Ran demanded.

"It's not lunch time yet," Kagome said.

"Daddy, I want food!" Ran demanded.

"Listen to your mama," Inuyasha replied.

Glancing back, Shen noticed that Ran's lower lip was wobbling. He recalled seeing the same expression on Kit and Kat when they were toddlers about to throw a fit. A crying brat was not something he wanted on his hands right now.

As predicted Ran started crying. "I wanna food!" she demanded between sobs.

Shen gritted his teeth yet again. It was amazing how annoying a tiny human could be. "Give her something to shut her up," he snapped.

"Are you stupid?" Inuyasha asked. "We give her something now, and she'll think all she has to do to get something is cry, and that isn't the message we want to give her. It's bad parenting."

Shen didn't care about good or bad parenting at the moment. He just wanted the brat to shut up. Shen pulled a piece of bread out of his pack and shoved it in the girl's hands, ignoring both Kagome and Inuyasha's glares. "Eat it."

Ran's tears dried immediately. "Thank you," she said, then began munching on the bread.

"You shouldn't have done that," Kagome said.

"Woman, I don't care about your parenting, or teaching your kids lessons. I just wanted her to be quiet."

"Watch your tone when you speak to her," Inuyasha snapped. "After all, we don't have to come and help."

Shen wanted nothing more at that moment than to take his katana out and run Inuyasha through. It would definitely help relieve his stress. It was only the thought of Lord Sesshomaru's wrath that kept him from doing so. Since Shen refused to apologize to a mere human, he opted to keep silent and walk ahead. Come evening, Shen was glad to stop. He hopped in a tree to rest while Kagome and Inuyasha got busy tending to their children.

They soon had a crackling fire going and were cooking fish that Inuyasha had caught.

"Okay, Isamu," Kagome said. "While the fish cook, we need to get some training done."

Feeling mildly curious, Shen watched. He had never seen how mikos trained and wanted to see how it was done.

Kagome and Isamu sat cross legged across from each other. They closed their eyes and Shen realized that they were meditating. Which he supposed made sense. After meditating for a while, Kagome had Isamu practice focusing her energy with different objects. After Isamu had focused on putting her energy in her hands, then feet, then a stick, and then a rock, the fish were done.

The family gathered around the fire, and Kagome gave everyone their food. Shen closed his eyes planning to rest then. However, a small voice soon disturbed his rest.

"General Shen."

Shen opened one eye to see Isamu standing beneath the tree holding a stick with a grilled fish on it up to him. "Would you like some fish?" she asked.

Shen could see the surprise in Kagome and Inuyasha's eyes. It was obvious they had never thought of feeding him. Truth be told, Shen felt surprised as well. He hadn't actually expected anything from them, least of all this quiet little girl.

"No, thank you. I am not hungry."

Isamu nodded and walked back to the fire.

Shen closed his eyes again to keep them from following the human girl who had so surprised him with her simple offer of fish.

* * *

Well, that's all for now, hope you enjoyed.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello, it's Crazy again. Not sure who else it would be seeing as Syco isn't actually helping me with this story...

**Hibikari**: As for the whole Shen beating Inuyasha thing, I agree with you. Shen couldn't beat him, but that chapter was from Shen's point of veiw, so of course Shen believes that he could defeat Inuyasha. And I must say you have a good eye for couples. I am actually considering pairing Isamu and Shen up, but I haven't set the idea in stone yet. Speaking of the girls, no they are not exactly half human half yokai. They are three fourths human, one fourth yokai, because Inuyasha is only half yokai. And no, they don't have the doggy ears, just unusual coloring (Isamu has white hair and Ran has golden eyes) seeing as they are more human than yokai.

I do not own Inuyasha. I do own original characters though.

* * *

The next morning Kagome and Inuyasha met with Shen alone

As it turned out, it didn't take a week to get to the Western castle. It took almost two weeks. By this time Shen was extremely sick of being in the small family's company, except for Isamu. Shen didn't mind her. She at least knew when not to speak, or when he wished to be left alone. Shen hoped the rest of them came to painful ends.

So it was with great relief that Shen beheld the sight of the castle and the city surrounding it. He couldn't help but feel pride when he saw the looks of awe on the females' faces. Inuyasha didn't look awed, he just frowned. But Shen felt certain that it was to hide similar feelings of awe. "Welcome," he said, "to the Western capitol."

He led them to the gates of the city. Seeing a guard he recognized, Shen called to him. "You! Go tell Lord Sesshomaru that his guests have arrived."

The soldier saluted, then ran off.

Shen walked confidently through the familiar streets. He nodded to yokai he recognized, but didn't stop to chat. Lord Sesshomaru would want them at the castle as soon as possible.

When they got to the castle, Shen saw Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Lilianna coming out to greet him. Shen stopped a few feet away from them and bowed deeply.

"You're late," Sesshomaru said.

"I apologize, my Lord. The return trip was slower than anticipated."

Shen saw Sesshomaru's eyes move behind him to Inuyasha. "It has been a long time little brother," Sesshomaru said.

"Feh, not long enough," Inuyasha said. "I was hoping you'd be dead by now."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "And who, pray tell, is actually strong enough to defeat me?"

Inuyasha looked away, as though bored with the conversation. "Oh, I could think of quite a few people. Pansy like you isn't hard to beat."

Shen felt shocked. He had thought Inuyasha, after seeing all this, would have shown at least a bit of respect to Lord Sesshomaru. Apparently he'd underestimated the dislike that ran between the two.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. But before he could speak, Kagome spoke up. "Oh, be quiet Inuyasha. We aren't here to pick a fight."

Lady Lilianna stepped in front of Lord Sesshomaru in order to help prevent a fight. "You must be Kagome. I'm Lilianna, Sesshomaru's wife. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kagome smiled at Lady Lilianna. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Lilianna."

Shen felt some relief. At least Kagome could be polite when she wanted to be.

Lady Lilianna looked beyond Kagome at the two girls behind her. "Are they yours?" she asked with some surprise.

"Yes," Kagome said, as she motioned the girls forward. "This is Isamu and Ran."

Lady Lilianna kneeled down so she was at the children's level. "Hello, there. My name is Lilianna. It's nice to meet you."

Ran smiled with her customary lack of shyness. "Hi you! I Ran!"

Isamu bowed shyly. "Hello."

Shen glanced at Lord Sesshomaru, curious to see how he reacted to the news that he had two nieces. Shen was slightly disappointed to see no reaction on his face. Not that there had been a great chance of it in the first place. Lord Sesshomaru didn't shock easily.

"Well," said Lady Lilianna, "I'm sure you're all tired from your journey. I'll have a servant take you to your room so you can rest before lunch." She motioned a servant forward. The servant bowed then led the guests away.

"Shen, come with me," Lord Sesshomaru said as he turned to walk away.

Shen obediently followed with the Lady Lilianna beside him.

Sesshomaru led them to a sitting room, and sat down in his chair. Shen waited until Lady Lilianna had sat as well before sitting himself.

"Sesshomaru, you never told me Kagome and Inuyasha had kids," Lady Lilianna said, a mild reproach in her voice.

"I didn't know," Lord Sesshomaru replied. "I don't keep close tabs on Inuyasha." Lord Sesshomaru turned his attention to Shen. "What were your impressions of them?"

Shen thought for a moment. "It is hard to judge them accurately, I think but I will do my best. From what I've observed these two weeks, I've found Inuyasha to be hot headed, and I would guess more than willing to jump into a fight. I've observed absolutely no tact in him and no signs of him being intelligent enough to think up anything complex. As for Kagome, well, I think she's fairly intelligent for a human. She is good with her children and they usually listen to her. I didn't see her lose her temper any while we traveled, and to put up with Inuyasha I would assume she has great patience."

Shen fell silent, so Lady Lilianna spoke up. "What about their girls?"

"Well, the little one is loud, annoying, and demanding. Isamu is quiet and shy, but very polite and thoughtful as well. Truth be told, I like Isamu better than any of the others."

Lord Sesshomaru nodded slightly. "It seems Inuyasha and Kagome haven't really changed from when I knew them."

"I'm sure they've changed more than you realize," Lady Lilianna said. "I have to admit, though surprised that they have kids, I am glad that Kagome has experience as a mother. It will make things easier for the both of us I think."

Lord Sesshomaru stood, so Lady Lilianna and Shen rose as well. "I think it's about time we head to lunch."

Lady Lilianna and Shen followed Lord Sesshomaru out the door and to lunch.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, though I guess it was probably kind of boring...Well a bit more will happen in the next chapter, I promise!


	5. Chapter 5

Well, you had all better appreciate this. I had to by my brother a frapichino in order to be able to post this. Long story, don't ask. But because this has actually cost me money, I expect reviews. Please and thank you.

I do not own Inuyasha.

* * *

Kagome examined the room that she and her family had been left to stay in. It was actually several rooms, not just one. There was a small but comfortable sitting room to receive guests in, a large bedroom, a walk in closet, and a private sitting area with a view of the gardens. All in all it was pretty impressive. It seemed Sesshomaru could treat people well when he wasn't trying to kill them.

"Well, the servant said that lunch would be served soon, so we'd better wash up," she told Inuyasha.

Inuyasha nodded and caught Ran who was jumping on the bed. "Come on Ran, we're going to get ready for lunch."

Kagome made sure that her daughters were clean and changed into cute outfits and that Inuyasha had at least washed his face and hands before thinking about herself. Kagome washed her face and hands, wishing she had time for a bath. That would be very nice. Then she changed into one of her miko outfits since she was here as a miko. She brushed her hair and tied it back with a ribbon to keep it out of her face. Just as she finished a different servant showed up to tell them that lunch was ready.

They followed the servant to a dining hall filled with more yokai than Kagome would have imagined. The hall buzzed with whispers as Kagome and the others sat down in there places near the royal family. For the first time, Kagome noticed three young children sitting to Lilianna and Sesshomaru's right. There were three boys. The oldest looked to be a young teen, or preteen, and was the spitting image of Sesshomaru, if a bit softer looking. The other two were absolutely adorable, and Kagome found herself resisting the urge to hug them. They were identical twins somewhere around Isamu's age, with long pink hair, golden eyes, a blue crescent moon, and one purple stripe on each cheek. When they smiled at her, showing a dimple on one cheek, she had to resist the urge to squeal. They were so cute!

"These are my sons, Inutaisho, Kit, and Kat," Sesshomaru said nodding at each child as he named them.

Kagome made mental notes of which had been Kit and which had been Kat. They'd each had their dimples on different cheeks, so Kagome was going to use that to help tell them apart.

"Boys, this is Inuyasha, Kagome, Isamu, and Ran," Lilianna said picking up from where Sesshomaru had left off.

"Hello," Inutaisho said, his little face all seriousness.

Kagome was forced to stifle a laugh. It was obvious the boy was trying to copy how his father acted. "Nice to meet you."

Kit and Kat both smiled brightly. "Hello," they chimed at the same time.

Isamu smiled her shy little smile in response. Ran waved a chubby little hand. "Hi you!"

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha. It seemed he didn't plan to respond to the children, which was just plain rude in her book. He could do whatever he wanted where Sesshomaru was concerned, well short of actually trying to kill him right now, and Kagome wouldn't intervene. That was his personal business. She would not, however, let him get away with being rude to children. "Inuyasha."

He glanced at her and frowned, but after receiving a pointed look from Kagome, he gave the children his own half hearted hello.

They began eating their meal then in relative silence. Any talk in the hall was hushed, as though it was against some rule to be loud. Kagome wished that someone would say something. This silence was somewhat aggravating to her. However her hosts seemed content with the silence, so she would do nothing to break it.

Everyone ate slowly. This Kagome realized, could actually be a bad thing. Ran was not in the habit of eating slowly. Nor was she in the habit of having to stay at the table after she was done. This could potentially cause a problem. Especially with the many sensitive eared yokai that were currently in the hall.

Kagome kept an eye on Ran. Sure enough, she finished her food before anyone else. Not long after, she moved to get up. "Sit down, Ran," Kagome ordered.

Ran looked surprised. After all, she normally got to go play after her meals. But she sat down obediently, if not happily. It wasn't long though before she was shifting around in her seat. Kagome didn't bother to tell her to be still. She thought that would be too much for poor Ran, who wasn't used to staying this long in one spot for anything.

Ran reached out and tugged Kagome's sleeve. "Go play?"

"Not yet Ran. You have to wait for everyone else to finish eating first."

Ran frowned at everyone else. "Hurry up!" she ordered.

Inuyasha lightly popped Ran on the head. "You don't give orders to adults."

Ran pouted at her father. "I wanna play!"

"Well, you're going to have to wait. Now sit and be quiet."

Ran's bottom lip quivered, and Kagome feared for a moment that she was going to throw a tantrum. Thankfully, Ran settled for sulking in her seat instead of howling the world's injustices.

However as Kagome glanced about the room, she noticed quite a few of the yokai had sped up their eating pace. Kagome had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. It seemed they recognized when a toddler was likely to throw a tantrum and they wanted to prevent it.

It wasn't too much longer before lunch was finished. As everyone left to their various occupations, Lilianna spoke to Kagome. "Kagome, could you please come walk with me?"

Kagome nodded as she stood. "Of course." She glanced at her kids and said, "Stay out of trouble." Turning her gaze on Inuyasha, she continued. "All of you."

Inuyasha gave her a look of complete innocence. Then he took the girls' hands and led them out of the room to somewhere.

Lilianna led Kagome through several twisting halls until they reached the outside gardens. Kagome had to admire the beauty that she was surrounded by. The gardeners certainly knew how to do their job.

"You have a beautiful home," Kagome said sincerely.

Lilianna looked around with a smile. "Thank you Kagome. Kagome, may I speak to you plainly?"

"I would prefer it if you did."

Lilianna sat on a stone bench overlooking a pond and motioned Kagome to sit beside her. "I will try to explain this situation as best I can. I'm sure General Shen already told you that my child was to be a human?"

Kagome nodded, and Lilianna continued. "This is a difficult thing to have happened to us. For one, we know little about humans, so raising her would be difficult. Because of her human blood, she will be weak, unable to defend herself should the need arise. Also, she will most likely not live past seventy years…" Lilianna's voice trailed away, and Kagome could see tears in her eyes. For a human, seventy years would be a lifetime, but for a yokai, seventy years was nothing.

Finding her voice, Lilianna continued. "Not to mention the political ramifications of her birth."

"What does politics have to do with it?" Kagome asked.

"A lot actually. Humans are beneath yokai. That is the general view of yokai. Most yokai in a situation like this would either give away their child or kill it. Sesshomaru and I refuse to do either. We will keep and raise her as if she were born a full yokai. Most yokai will not like this, many powerful ones included. This will make them see Sesshomaru as weak. It could really cause numerous problems for us."

Kagome nodded. "I think I see. So, how exactly can I help?"

Lilianna looked at Kagome pleadingly. "Well, I need you to coach me basically. How do I raise a human child? What am I supposed to do with her? What do I feed her? I don't know anything."

"Well," Kagome said, "I'm not sure how similar human and yokai pregnancies are, but here are a few things I can point out right away. Don't strain yourself to much, few if any sugary foods, no caffeine, which means no tea, and absolutely nothing alcoholic."

Lilianna blinked. "No tea?"

Kagome nodded. "None. Caffeine is really bad for a baby, and unfortunately, tea has lots of caffeine."

Lilianna sighed. "Well, I suppose I can deal with that."

"By the way, how far along are you?" Kagome asked.

"Almost seven months, which means she should be born soon."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

Lilianna looked confused. "Why?"

"Because it takes human women nine to ten months to give birth. Since your baby is human now, it will probably take you a bit longer than usual."

Lilianna nodded. "I feel sorry for human women. Being pregnant seven months is hard enough."

Kagome grinned. "Yes, and I've had to go through that wait twice already. By the way, what do you plan to name her?"

Lilianna shrugged slightly. "We haven't decided on a definite name yet. I personally favor the name Sierra though."

"Sierra. Isn't that mane from the countries to the west over the ocean?"

Lilianna nodded. "I heard some yokai traders from those lands use it. I always thought it was a beautiful name."

Kagome nodded. "It is. And if you ask me it is somewhat fitting if one thinks about her life."

"How so?"  
"Well, if I'm remembering correctly, a sierra is a range of mountains. And your girl will have plenty of mountains to climb in her life. Or so it seems to me."

Lilianna nodded thoughtfully. "I believe you might be right. Well then, I'm going to have to tell Sesshomaru that I have decided on the name Sierra."

A sudden shout from another area raised the women's attention. A very familiar sounding shout for Kagome…They rushed to see what had caused the shout, and Kagome was not surprised to find the culprit was Inuyasha. She was however, surprised to see he had somehow become covered in mud.

"Kit, Kat," Lilianna said to the giggling boys. "That was not an acceptable way to treat a guest, and certainly not family. Apologize right now."

Kagome found herself a bit startled at Lilianna's use of the word "family". Though, it's true that Inuyasha was the boys' uncle, which made her their aunt. Kagome couldn't help but smile a bit when she realized that this meant Sesshomaru had a human for a sister-in-law.

The boys turned to Inuyasha, their faces speaking innocence while their eyes showed sparks of mischief. "We're sorry you're not good enough to dodge our pranks like Father."

Inuyasha stared a look of disbelief on his face, before developing a twitch by his right eye. "Why you little brats," he growled before dashing after them. Squealing the boys dashed off ahead of Inuyasha.

Lilianna stepped forward, a look of concern on her face, but Kagome stopped her by putting her hand on Lilianna's arm. "Don't worry about the boys. Inuyasha won't hurt them. The worst he'd do is dunking them in mud, or maybe a pond."

Lilianna seemed somewhat relieved. She gave Kagome a half smile. "I see a bit of a war developing between them."

Kagome grinned with a shake of her head. "It would be just like Inuyasha. I swear, sometimes I think he never grew up mentally."

Feeling a tug on her clothes, Kagome looked down to see Ran looking up at her. "Daddy got dirty," she said.

"Yes, he did."

"Daddy get bath?"

Kagome's mouth twitched as she held back a laugh. "He will, Ran, later."

Ran seemed satisfied with that. Kagome glanced around, and located Isamu standing a few feet away. Kagome motioned Isamu closer, and she obediently came forward.

"You pretty."

Kagome looked back at Ran, who was watching Lilianna with a look of admiration.

Lilianna smiled down at the girl. "Why, thank you very much Ran. You're pretty cute yourself."

Ran beamed from the complement. "Thank you, Lay Lilan."

It looked as though Lilianna was trying not to laugh at the way Ran said her name. "You may call me Aunt Lily. The same goes for you Isamu."

Isamu nodded from her place beside Kagome.

"You know, it almost hadn't occurred to me that we were family," Kagome mused. "Though I suppose this makes you and me sisters by marriage?"

Lilianna seemed to think about that one a moment, then nodded with a smile. "Yes we are sisters now aren't we?"

Kagome placed a hand on Isamu's head and smiled. "You know, it almost makes me laugh to think of the girls calling Sesshomaru uncle."

Lilianna actually did chuckle at that. "Can you say that Ran? Uncle Sesshomaru?"

A look of concentration crossed her face. "Uncle Sechomaku."

Both Kagome and Lilianna had to laugh at that. Even Isamu let out a little giggle. Ran grinned proudly as though she had done something wonderful.

"How about you call him Uncle Sesshy?"

Ran thought about this then nodded. "I say Uncle Sesshy."

"Will Sesshomaru be okay with that?" Kagome asked.

"Probably not, but I'll speak to him," Lilianna said with a smile. "And Sesshomaru telling me no is a rare thing."

Kagome chuckled at the mental image of a cowering Sesshomaru taking orders from a raging Lilianna. It was a humorous image.

"Come on, girls. Let's see if we can find your cousin, Inutaisho," Lilianna said.

Lilianna took the lead and Kagome and the girls followed. She led them through the gardens and to a building that was separate from the palace. They went inside and Kagome realized it was a dojo. Standing on the floor of the dojo was Inutaisho and a yokai that Kagome hadn't met before.

"Ah, Hiro, I thought you and Inutaisho would be here. This is Lady Kagome, the miko who has come to help. Lady Kagome, this is Hiro. He is one of Lord Sesshomaru's generals, and also the one who trains Inutaisho when Lord Sesshomaru is to busy."

Kagome studied the man as he bowed lightly to her and Lilianna. If Kagome didn't miss her guess, he was also an inu yokai. Unlike the others she had seen Hiro had long black hair. He was tall, as all inu yokai seemed to be, and in very good shape. His eyes were blue, and kinder than any yokai's she'd seen so far.

"It is an honor to meet you, Lady Kagome."

Kagome smiled warmly and returned his bow. "The same goes for me. Let me introduce my daughters. This is Ran, and this is Isamu."

Hiro smiled at them. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Hi!" Ran said.

"Hello," Isamu said softly.

"Inutaisho, I was thinking that it might be nice to let you take a day off from your practices today. Would you mind showing your cousins around?"

Inutaisho bowed. "Not at all, Mother." He glanced at the girls, and Kagome could see sparks of curiosity in his eyes. She had a feeling he wasn't quite as serious as he tried to make himself. He led the way out of the dojo, Isamu and Ran following.

"Well, I'm sure you ladies have things to discuss, so if you will excuse me?"

Lilianna nodded her consent, and bowing, Hiro excused himself.

"Well, now we can get back to our discussion," Lilianna said. She went ahead and sat down by the wall. "We probably won't be bothered in here."

Kagome sat down beside her. "So, where were we?"

"We had decided what I should not eat," Lilianna said, "and what I would name her."

Kagome nodded. "Okay. So is there anything in particular you want to know?"

"Well," said Lilianna, "I was wondering what human babies eat."

Kagome felt faintly embarrassed from this question. It wasn't something she'd thought she would ever have to explain to a full grown woman. Of course, it sort of stood to reason that yokai and human babies ate different things. Or that Lilianna simply didn't know what human babies ate.

"Well, human babies are fed, um, breast milk."

Lilianna nodded. "I see. Yokai babies, for the most part, are the same. I thought that was how humans did it, but I wasn't sure. How long do you feed them like that?"

"It varies somewhat, but usually a bit more than a year."

Lilianna looked surprised. "So long?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes. Though by a year old they've begun to eat other foods as well."

"How often do they eat?"

"Every few hours or so. It depends on the baby. But you can expect to be woken up at night for the first few months."

Again, Lilianna nodded. "Kagome, I was wondering. Would you mind staying for a while after Sierra is born? This is just so much to take in, and if you weren't here, well, I'm afraid I'd forget something, and-"

Kagome placed a hand on Lilianna's arm. "Of course I'll stay."

Lilianna smiled weakly, looking relieved. "Thank you Kagome. I don't know how to repay you."

"There is no need for you to do anything. I want to help."

"Still, Kagome, if you ever have need of anything, just let me know. I'll do my best to help you."

"Alright, Lilianna. I'll keep that in mind."

They continued their talk until it was almost time for dinner. Then they had to go their separate ways in order to get ready.

Before going to her room to wash up, Kagome cast about the garden in an effort to find Isamu and Ran. She wandered through searching. After a few minutes she heard the laughter of children, and recognizing Ran's laugh went towards it. She found her two girls playing with their cousin. It looked like they were playing tag, and currently Ran was it. A smile creased Kagome's face as she saw Inutaisho purposely slow down so Ran could tag him.

"Isamu, Ran," Kagome called, "you have to stop playing for now. We need to get ready for dinner."

Ran looked very disappointed. "Right now?"

"Yes, Ran, right now. You'll have plenty of time to play later. Anyways Inutaisho needs to get ready as well."

Ran looked like she was going to protest but Inutaisho placed one of his hands on her head and knelt down to her level. "Ran, don't you want to eat?"

"No," Ran said stubbornly. "I want to play with you."

"But I'm hungry," Inutaisho said. "I want to go eat. But I'll tell you what. If you go with your mama and get clean for dinner I'll let you sit by me."

Ran thought about this for a moment then nodded with a smile. "Yes!" Then Ran ran to Kagome. "Let's go mama!"

Kagome chuckled. "Alright. Come on Isamu." As they walked away Kagome sent a grateful smile to Inutaisho. Either he was just good with kids as a result of having two younger siblings or he had the makings of a great diplomat. Either way Kagome knew she'd be happy having him as a baby sitter.

She got the girls to their room and found Inuyasha pulling on his shirt. His damp hair let Kagome know where he'd been. "What did you do to Kit and Kat?" she asked out of curiosity.

"I tossed them in the pond," Inuyasha said carelessly.

"They can swim can't they?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, they swam like fish to the other side," Inuyasha said. He picked Ran up and gave her a hug. "And what have you and Isamu been doing?"

"We played tag with Inny!"

"She means Inutaisho," Isamu said at Inuyasha's confused look.

"I see. And did you have fun?"

"Yes! And I can sit by Inny at dinner!"

Inuyasha glanced back at Kagome questioningly.

"It was the only way to get her to come," Kagome said with a shrug.

"Well, I guess that's okay. Now you and Isamu need to get cleaned up."

Again Kagome spent her time getting Isamu and Ran's faces and hands washed. She ran a brush through their hair and tied Ran's back. Ran had a bad habit of getting things in her hair.

"Isamu, would you like me to do your hair?"

"Yes, please," Isamu said. "Can I have a braid?"

"Of course," Kagome said with a smile. She quickly did a French braid in Isamu's hair. Kagome thought fondly of days years past when she and her friends would sit around in circles at someone's house braiding hair and swapping gossip. It had been a long time since she'd seen any of them.

"All done, Isamu," Kagome said cheerfully. Kagome washed her face and hands as well. As soon as she was done a servant arrived to let them know it was time for dinner.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed. And remember, REVIEW! I had to pay my brother to be able to post this!!


	6. Chapter 6

Well, since I've been asked, I will tell the frappachino story. If you are not interseted in hearing, well, reading the frappachino story, then you may skip to the beginning of the chapter.

Well, what happened is this. I do actually own my own computer, however, on that Thursday our internet was being tempermental, and wouldn't work. Which was bad for multiple reasons, one of which being I wouldn't be able to update like I was supposed to. The other was slightly more important to me, because it meant I wouldn't be able to complete a homework assignment. So, since I haven't gotten my lisence yet, I had to ask my older brother for a ride to someplace that gave off wireless internet. The closest place was a coffe shop called The Sweetest Things. In order to give me this ride he demanded that I buy him a frappichino. Since there was a grade riding on the line, I agreed. So yeah, I wanted to get my homework done more than I wanted to post that chapter, but I think most will agree that grades are more important.

**Electromagnetic Powers Rule****: **Yeah, Inuyasha no longer wears the necklace. I mean since they're married I didn't think it was realy needed any more.

* * *

Inutaisho went down the hall to his parent's room quickly. He knew that they would be getting ready for dinner right now, and he had to ask permission for Ran to sit beside him. He hoped it wouldn't be a problem; otherwise Ran would get very upset.

Inutaisho made it to his parent's door and knocked.

"Come in," Sesshomaru's voice called.

Inutaisho entered his parent's sitting room to see his father standing near the door that led back into his private rooms. Inutaisho's mother was not to be seen, so Inutaisho assumed she was still getting ready.

"Father, I was wondering if it would be okay if Ran sat beside me."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

Inutaisho shrugged slightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "She likes me."

"It is fine," Sesshomaru said. "Go tell the servants."

"Yes sir," Inutaisho said. He gave his father a slight bow and then left. He dashed down the halls slowing to a walk whenever he saw someone. He wanted to get there quickly, but he didn't want others to see him run like that. Soon he got to the dinning room and told the servants about the change in seating arrangements.

Inutaisho retreated to his own room afterwards in order to wash up for dinner. Once he got there he was pounced upon by his two younger brothers.

"Inutaisho!" said Kit.

"We would like your help," said Kat.

"With what?" asked Inutaisho.

"With getting Uncle Inuyasha of course," said Kit as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Inutaisho raised his eyebrow in a good imitation of his father.

"Oh don't look like that!" whined Kat.

"He deserves to be got," said Kit.

Inutaisho continued to stare.

"He threw us in the pond!" said Kat defensively.

Inutaisho just looked at them.

"Well, so we dumped mud on him first," admitted Kit.

"But he still threw us in the pond," Kat repeated.

Inutaisho smiled slightly. The staring trick always worked on his brothers, whether it was their father or Inutaisho who did it. "It sounds like you deserved to be thrown in the pond," Inutaisho said.

Kit and Kat responded with identical pouts. "You're so mean, Inutaisho," Kit complained.

"And you two are pups," Inutaisho said moving past them. He really needed to get ready for dinner.

"Just one trick Inutaisho?" asked Kat.

"No. If you two want to get in trouble, you can do it on your own," Inutaisho declared.

The twins stuck their tongues out at him. "You be that way!" they said together, and then dashed off.

Inutaisho sighed. He really did wish they'd get over their pranks, but didn't believe they ever would really. He supposed they'd be full grown adults and still pulling pranks. Inutaisho couldn't do that sort of thing. After all, he was going to be Lord of the West someday.

After washing up Inutaisho went to the dining room and took his seat to the left of his father, who had not yet arrived. He was pleased to note that a space had been prepared for Ran beside him. In truth, Inutaisho liked Ran, and was pleased that she wanted to sit by him.

Soon, Kit and Kat arrived and took their seats.

"You have to move over," Inutaisho informed them.

"Why?" they asked at the same time.

"Because Ran is sitting by me tonight," Inutaisho said.

"Why?" they asked again, even more surprised.

"Because Father said she could," Inutaisho told them, knowing that would end the argument.

The twins frowned, but moved over like they were supposed to.

Soon the others began pouring into the room and taking their seats. It wasn't long before Inuyasha and his family made their appearance. Ran immediately dashed over to where Inutaisho was and took the seat between him and Kit.

"Hello, I'm Kit."

"And I'm Kat."

Ran smiled at both of them. "Hi you! I Ran."

Kit leaned towards Ran and whispered conspiratorially. "Would you like to do something funny?"

Inutaisho tweaked Kit's ear before Ran could respond. "Oh no you don't. You will not pull Ran into your pranks."

Kit frowned at Inutaisho, but further conversation was stopped by the appearance of Sesshomaru and Lilianna. They took their places at the head of the table and soon the servants began bringing out delicious platters of food.

"Hi Uncle Sessy, hi Aunt Lily!" Ran called cheerfully after they had sat down.

Inutaisho was quite surprised at his. He had never heard anyone shorten his Father's name like that. Inutaisho glance over and saw a small but definite frown on his face. It was easy enough to see that Sesshomaru didn't like his nickname.

Before Sesshomaru could say anything, Lilianna placed her hand over his. "You don't want to hear her try and say your full name." Lilianna's eyes twinkled with laughter at the memory.

Sesshomaru glanced back down at Ran, and so did Inutaisho. She was looking up at Sesshomaru expectantly, apparently waiting for a reply to her earlier greeting.

"Hello Ran," Sesshomaru finally said.

Ran smiled brightly at him, and then turned her attention to the food.

Inutaisho was at first surprised at Sesshomaru's acceptance of his new nickname. Though, considering Ran's age he supposed it made sense. It was about like how he, Kit and Kat used to refer to Sesshomaru and Lilianna as Mama and Daddy. Of course, now that they were older, they had to say Mother and Father, although Kit and Kat still said Mama and Daddy when they were really upset. So Inutaisho supposed that once Ran was bigger she would have to say Uncle Sesshomaru.

Ran was too little to fix her own plate of food, so Inutaisho took it upon himself to do so. He was careful to only put on Ran's plate the kind of food that he saw on Aunt Kagome's. He didn't want to accidentally give her something she wasn't supposed to eat.

After fixing Ran's plate he fixed his own plate of food. As he ate he watched Ran out the corner of his eye to make sure she didn't make a mess. For a toddler, Inutaisho decided she wasn't doing to bad at neatness. Granted she was dropping a few things on the table, and she was getting sauce all over her face, but other than that she wasn't doing badly.

Dinner ended eventually and Aunt Kagome called Ran over to her so that she could take and get Ran a bath.

Sesshomaru looked at Inutaisho, Kit and Kat and said, "Goodnight boys."

"Sweet dreams," their Mother added.

The three boys all bowed politely. "Goodnight, Father, goodnight, Mother." Then they all went to their rooms.

Inutaisho got changed and climbed into bed. He wasn't really tired, but it was the rule that they had to go to bed after dinner, so there he lay. As he lay, he thought about the past few weeks and the strange events that had happened. He didn't understand much of what had happened. All he really understood was that something had happened to the baby sister that had yet to be born, and he thought that Aunt Kagome was supposed to help somehow. He didn't know quite how.

Inutaisho turned on his side so he could see the half moon outside his window. Silently he wondered what was supposed to be wrong with his sister. He wasn't sure, and the thought of something being wrong with her bothered him to no end. His eyes finally feeling heavy, they closed as Inutaisho decided that, whatever was wrong with her, he would watch out for his baby sister.

* * *

Well, that's that. I hoped you all liked getting a glimpes of things from Inutaisho's point of veiw. I personally thought that this was a cute chapter. And I think you will all be happy to know that Sierra, who is really the main character of this story, will be born in the next chapter. Bye for now, and reveiw!


	7. Chapter 7

At last, the moment you've all been waiting for! Sierra's birth! I hope you all enjoy this one!

**Electromagnetic Powers Rule**: Hehe, sorry about that mixup. I guess that's what happens when I don't double check stuff...

I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Three weeks after Inuyasha and Kagome had arrived and Lilianna was still waiting for her daughter to make her first appearance. However, the past day or so, something had felt different inside her. Lilianna couldn't put it in words exactly what it was, but something was off. Lilianna took this as a sign that soon now Sierra would be born.

At the moment she was sitting in her sitting room with Kagome sewing. While Lilianna had servants to do the sewing for her, it was something that Lilianna enjoyed and was excellent at. Kagome wasn't bad, but she wasn't that great either. Lilianna found that she enjoyed teaching Kagome about the finer points of sewing.

"You expect her to arrive soon?" Kagome asked.

Lilianna smiled slightly. "You could tell?"

Kagome nodded. "You've been acting a bit less comfortable recently, so I figured."

The door opened and Kit and Kat poked their heads in the room. "Hello mother, Aunt Kagome."

"Aren't you two supposed to be studying with Jaken?" Lilianna asked.

They entered the room and closed the door behind them. "He gave us a break," Kit said.

"I see," Lilianna said. "So what can we do for you two?"

"We just wanted to visit," said Kat.

"Or did you want the excuse of being with your mother to let you go back to classes late?" asked Kagome with a note of teasing in her voice.

They gave her identical innocent smiles. "Oh, we would never do that, Aunt Kagome," Kit said.

Suddenly, Lilianna felt her baby moving inside of her. "Kit, Kat," she called. "Your little sister is moving. Do you want to feel her?"

Both boys moved to her and placed a hand on her stomach. They grinned widely when they felt her move. Suddenly Lilianna felt a sharp pain accompanied by the hardest kick Sierra had given yet. Lilianna gasped and looked down to see a wet stain spreading across her kimono. Kit and Kat jumped back their smiles gone and eyes wide.

"Go get your father now," Lilianna said, "and the healer."

Kit and Kat dashed to the door as Kagome walked over to Lilianna's chair. "Come on; let's get you in bed Lilianna."

As Lilianna stood, she gasped when another contraction hit her. She had to hold on to Kagome to stay up.

"It shouldn't hurt this much," Lilianna whispered. "And the contractions shouldn't be so close."

Kagome led Lilianna to her bed. "I know. This is going to be more difficult than anything else you have ever done. But don't worry, I'm here, and soon Sesshomaru will be as well."

* * *

Kit dashed down the hall to his father's study while Kat ran the other way to get to the healer. Without bothering to knock, something that would usually get him in trouble, Kit opened the door and dashed inside.

"Daddy, something's wrong with Mama!"

Sesshomaru's head shot up, and his eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Kit said, his eyes filling with tears. "Me and Kat were in the sitting room, and we were feeling the baby, but suddenly Mama made a hurt sound and there was wet stuff everywhere!" Kit stopped talking as a sudden idea hit him. What if he and Kat had somehow hurt her?

Sesshomaru stood up quickly. "Find Inutaisho and stay with him," he ordered as he quickly left the room.

Kit left the room at a slower pace and found Kat in the hall. "Is Daddy upset?" he asked.

"I think so," Kit said. "He said we should find Inutaisho and stay with him"

They walked in silence a while, and finally Kat spoke up. "Did we hurt Mama?"

"I don't know," Kit said biting his lip. "Let's find Inutaisho quick."

They ran back to their class room where they discover Inutaisho already sitting in his seat and Jaken impatiently waiting for them.

"Where have you two been?" Jaken squawked.

They twins ignored Jaken and dashed over to their big brother. "We hurt Mama!" they said their tears finally falling.

Inutaisho's eyes widened and he placed his hands on his brothers' heads. "What?"

Taking turns the twins haltingly told Inutaisho what had happened.

"Stupid pups," said Jaken from behind them.

All three looked up at him. "You didn't hurt Lady Lilianna," Jaken continued. "She is merely getting your sister out from inside her."

"But does it have to hurt her?" Kit asked.

"Yes, unfortunately. She went through the same thing when all of you were born."

"Really?" asked Kat, eyes wide.

"Yes, but she didn't mind doing it," Jaken said, being unusually kind. "She loves you all, and thinks you are worth it."

"So see, you two didn't do anything," Inutaisho said smiling down at his brothers. "Mother will be fine, and soon you'll get to see our little sister."

Feeling much improved the two boys moved to their seats.

"Now, this will take some time, so let's continue our lesson," Jaken said.

* * *

Sesshomaru dashed to his room to find that Kagome and Megumi, an ancient yokai healer, were already there with her. Sesshomaru took his position at the head of the bed where Lilianna could easily see him. "I'm here Lilianna."

She grabbed his hand and held it tightly. "It hurts."

"I know. You will be fine."

He stayed with her there as the hours slipped by, one by one, until it was almost the dawn of the next day. Finally he turned his head and pinned Kagome with his eyes. "Why is it taking so long?"

Kagome wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and looked back at him. She glanced at Lilianna, then turned her gaze back to Sesshomaru, and tilted her head towards the side indicating she wished to have a private word with him.

Sesshomaru walked over and waited for Kagome to speak.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome started. "I think this is taking so long because Lilianna is a yokai and the baby is human. The whole being different species makes it more difficult. But that's only a theory. What I know for sure is that it taking so long is not good. I don't think Lilianna will come to any harm; she is to strong for that. I am however worried about the baby. To be perfectly blunt, I'm afraid that the baby won't survive this."

Sesshomaru felt as if all the air had been knocked out of him. Kagome had just hit him with a blow harder than any he'd taken before. "What?"

"She is human, Sesshomaru. She is even weaker than yokai babies. She can't take this kind of trauma."

"Isn't there something you can do?" Sesshomaru asked, feeling desperate for the first time in his life. He didn't want to lose his little girl, the little girl he'd never had a chance to see yet.

Kagome hesitated a moment. "There is one thing that might work, but it's risky. I know of a surgery, where I would have to cut Lilianna open in order to remove the baby. But it's not always successful."

Sesshomaru thought quickly. If things continued like this then his daughter would die. However, if they tried this surgery then she would have a chance of surviving. "Do it," he ordered.

Sesshomaru walked back to Lilianna and took her hand again. She looked up at him, her eyes glazed with pain. "It will be over soon," he whispered.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome said from behind him. "It would be best if you left I think."

Sesshomaru hesitated and then nodded. He gave Lilianna's hand a squeeze then left the bedroom and went into the sitting room. To his surprise Inuyasha, Isamu, Ran, Inutaisho, Kit, Kat, Hiro, Shen and Jaken were all in there, though the children were all sleeping.

"What's happening?" Inuyasha asked.

Sesshomaru forced himself to sit. He would not show his worry so obviously by pacing. "They have to do surgery to get the baby out," Sesshomaru said, his voice forcefully flat.

"They have to what?" Hiro asked shocked.

"The miko says it's the only way."

Sesshomaru was barely aware of Inuyasha nodding. "Yes, that's happened before in our village. It should be okay, Kagome's done this before."

They sat in a tense silence and the minutes ticked by. Suddenly a strange noise met Sesshomaru's ears. It took him a few seconds to realize what the sound was. It was a baby crying. He stared at the door as the sound slowly grew stronger, and then slowly stopped.

A few more minutes went by and the door opened. Megumi stepped out and smiled wearily at Sesshomaru. "They're both okay my Lord. You may go see them now."

Sesshomaru stood, hardly daring to believe what she said. He went into his room and his eyes instantly went to Lilianna. She lay on the bed, sound asleep, her middle wrapped in bandages. After assuring himself that she was okay, Sesshomaru turned his gaze to Kagome who held a tiny bundle in her arms. Kagome smiled and held the bundle out to him. "Your baby."

Gently, Sesshomaru took the tiny thing from Kagome and held the child against him with the same delicacy he would have used with a priceless and extremely fragile object. Her face was red and slightly wrinkled. She had no hair worth speaking of on the top of her head, and one small fist was out of the blanket by her toothless mouth. She was beautiful.

Sesshomaru traced the curve of her cheek with a single finger, amazed at her softness. "My baby," he whispered. "Sierra." His mouth softened into a gentle and rare smile. Sesshomaru leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. He finally had his daughter.

* * *

Doesn't this ending just make you want to say 'aaaaaawwwww'? I hope so, 'cause that's what I was going for here. Let me know what you think in a review!


	8. Chapter 8

Okay everyone, FYI, the next couple of chapters are going to be glimpses of Sierra's childhood, since for you to understand why somethings happen later on in the story, you need to know what her youth was like. So I'm thinking the next three or four chapters after this one will probably be her childhood. Then the main action will start.

Do not own Inuyasha.

* * *

Sierra walked through garden searching for her big brothers. She could never find them it seemed. Her bottom lip wobbled. It wasn't fair; they were always running off and leaving her behind, and just because she was only five.

Well, she'd show them. She was a big girl. Sierra didn't need to play with her brothers. She would find other kids her age and play with them.

Feeling pleased with herself, Sierra went to look for the other young children. They always stayed together in a big noisy group, so they shouldn't be too hard to find. Briefly Sierra wondered why she wasn't kept with the group of kids. She was always expected to stay with her brothers, or Mama.

Sierra popped her self on the head. She wasn't supposed to say Mama. She was supposed to say Mother now 'cause she was a big girl and Daddy, she whacked herself again, Father said so.

Soon Sierra heard the laughter and shouts of children. Following the sound led her to the edge of the pond where the other kids were playing in the water. Sierra smiled brightly. She loved to play in the bath, and in her mind this would be just the same.

She toddled towards the pond but was stopped by someone behind her.

"Where do you think your going?"

Sierra looked up to see one of the women that watched the kids. She had a funny look on her face. It reminded Sierra of the look she'd seen on the face of the servant yesterday who had taken out a bunch of garbage, but Sierra didn't know why this woman would look at her like that.

"I want to play in the water too."

The woman shook her head. "Oh no you don't. You're not allowed to play in the water. You might get hurt. In fact, I think you're supposed to be with your Mother."

Sierra's lower lip wobbled. She wanted to play with the other little kids. No one ever let her, and she just didn't understand why.

"Sierra there you are!"

Sierra looked over to see her Ma-Mother walking over to her.

"Sierra, I've told you before not to wander away from me."

"But you were talking about stuff, and I got bored," Sierra said.

Lilianna frowned down at her. "That's no excuse, Sierra. You must be with your Father, brothers, or me at all times."

Sierra sighed. "I'm sorry Ma-Mother."

Lilianna nodded. "Good. Now come on."

Obediently, but with one wistful look back, Sierra followed her Mother. As they walked back to Lilianna's room, Sierra asked, "Ma-Mother, why can't I play with the other kids?"

"Because," Lilianna said, "they play to rough. You might get hurt."

Sierra frowned. "Then why don't the other kids get hurt, if I would?"

Lilianna looked back at her. "Because, you're different from the other kids."

"Why?" Sierra asked feeling completely frustrated.

"You just are," Lilianna said. "It doesn't mean they're any better than you, you're just different. Plus, you're my only little girl, and I want to take special care of you."

Sierra sighed. She didn't want to be different. She didn't want to get special care. She just wanted to play with the other kids.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed. Let me know what you think in a review.


	9. Chapter 9

Well, here's the next chapter of SD! I hope you all enjoy it! But first to answer some of your questions...

**MooMoo-of-Doom: **Yes, the reason she can't play with the other kids is because she is human. Sesshomaru and Lilianna are afraid that the other kids might accidentallty hurt her, so Sierra's not allowed to play with the others. And Sesshomaru and Lilianna came up with that rule by themselves. Somehow I don't see Inuyasha and Kagome approving. And in that last chapter, no Sierra didn't really understand that she was human. She will in this one though. And I think that aswers all of your questions.

And just a reminder, this and the next couple of chapters are snippets of Sierra's childhood. Just so you know.

Don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Sierra looked up from the book she was reading and closed her eyes. She was supposed to stop reading every twenty minutes in order to rest her eyes. Sierra thought it was a silly rule, one of many silly rules actually. But Sierra supposed that at eight she couldn't really know what was best for herself.

Still, some of the rules were utterly ridiculous, like never being allowed to step foot outside without someone with her. Seriously, what in the gardens could hurt her? And her diet was strictly regulated. No sweets, nothing fattening, and her vegetables were never cooked, unless it was rice. She wasn't supposed to do anything that was physically demanding. Honestly, her parents treated her like a glass doll.

"Though," she said glumly, "I suppose to yokai I am as fragile as a glass doll."

Her attention was directed outside by the shouts of kids. Sierra looked in the gardens and could see them running around playing some kind of game. With all her heart, Sierra wished she could go play with them. But that wasn't allowed. She might get hurt.

Sierra understood her parents need to keep her safe and unharmed; sometimes she just didn't agree with their methods.

"Maybe," Sierra said, "if I asked, one of the kids would like to have a tea party with me."

She stood and went to the window. To her pleasure a girl was standing near the window. "Hello," Sierra called to get her attention.

The girl turned her head with surprise, staring wide eyed at Sierra.

"Would you like to have a tea party with me?" Sierra asked giving her a friendly smile.

"No way," the girl said, tossing her head. "I would never play with a human." With that the girl ran off leaving Sierra standing there, hurt and confused.

Why did it matter that she was human? What was wrong with that? Something was wrong with it apparently.

Sierra felt tears pricking her eyes and hastily wiped them away. She was much too old to cry, father said so. She'd get in trouble if someone saw her.

Sierra went and sat back down in her chair, trying very hard to make the tears go away. Why did there have to be something wrong with her? What had she done to deserve this lonely exile? Nothing so far as Sierra knew.

"I must have done something wrong," Sierra whispered. "People don't have bad things happening to them for no reason. But what did I do?"

Sierra wracked her brain, but could come up with no reason why she should be human, especially when her parents were both yokai. But she must have done something to make this happen.

A few more rebellious tears slipped down her face, and Sierra hastily wiped them away. She wasn't supposed to cry, ever.

She looked up as she heard the door to the library open. Sierra flushed with shame as she saw her Father standing in the doorway. She knew he could tell she had been crying. She stood and bowed as she was supposed to, but kept her eyes on the floor out of embarrassment.

For a while the room was silent as neither of them said anything. Finally Sesshomaru broke the silence. "You are late for your music lesson."

Sierra looked up startled. The book she had been reading was so interesting; she had completely forgotten the time. Her cheeks red with shame once more, Sierra bowed again. "I'm sorry Father, I'll go right away."

Sierra moved past him and out into the hall. Then she stopped as a sudden thought occurred to her. If anyone knew the answer to why she was human, wouldn't it be her Father?

Sierra turned and looked up at him. "Father?"

"Yes, Sierra?"

Sierra bit her lip, and then asked her question in a rush. "Why am I human?"

Sesshomaru stared down at her, saying nothing, his face an unreadable mask. Sierra began to worry that asking that had been a mistake. But this was her life they were discussing. Surely she had a right to know what she'd done to cause this.

"You shouldn't ask such foolish questions."

Sierra was hurt and surprised by Sesshomaru's answer. She hadn't thought he'd call her foolish. Her face burning and her eyes once more filled with tears, Sierra said, "I'm sorry, Father." She turned and practically ran down the hall to her music lesson.

* * *

Well, I hope you all enjoyed. Now I need to go find a tissue or two. Tell me what you think in a review!


	10. Chapter 10

Well, I felt that the last chapter left Sesshomaru as very cold towards Sierra. But he's not. At least not in my mind. So, this chapter is basically the last chapter, just told from Sesshomaru's point of view. I thought it would be a good way to let you all get inside Sesshomaru's head.

I don't own Inuyasha. I am 99.9 percent sure I will never own Inuyasha.

* * *

Sesshomaru walked down the hall following his nose to where Sierra was. She was late for her music lesson, whish was completely unlike her. Or, Sesshomaru mused, it was unlike her now. When her lessons had first started Sierra had always forgotten about them and been late. It had been a while though since that had happened.

Sesshomaru followed Sierra's scent to the library. He should have guessed this is where she was. Sierra was an avid reader already, which was something that pleased Sesshomaru. Except, of course, when Sierra's love of reading got in the way of her other lessons. Sesshomaru opened the door and blinked with surprise. He didn't need to smell the saltiness of her tears to tell that she'd been crying. But why had she been crying?

Her head jerked up when she saw him come in, and Sesshomaru saw her blush. He wanted to ask what was wrong, he wanted to find out whom or what had made his little girl cry. But Sesshomaru refrained. If Sierra wanted his help, she'd ask him.

He watched silently as she stood and bowed in greeting. She kept her eyes on the floor which bothered Sesshomaru. She seemed to do that so often in his presence, and he didn't like it. He wanted her to look at him with those adoring eyes like she used to.

"You are late for your music lesson."

Her head jerked up, and Sesshomaru could tell she was surprised by this. As he'd thought she hadn't know it was past time for her to go to her class.

He saw her cheeks flush with shame as she lowered her head again. "I'm sorry Father, I'll go right away."

She walked past him, and Sesshomaru felt a pang in his chest. She hadn't even looked up at him when she passed. Only a few short years ago she would have hugged him before going off. What had happened? Why had this change come about?

Sesshomaru was snapped out of his thoughts by Sierra's soft voice. "Father?"

"Yes Sierra?" Perhaps she'd decided to tell him what had upset her after all.

"Why am I human?"

Was this what had upset her so badly? Sesshomaru was silent. He had always known she would ask this question one day. But he hadn't thought that day would be so soon. She was still so young, she shouldn't be worried about weighty matters like that yet. And besides, she wouldn't even understand about what had happened yet. It was much to complicated for so small a child.

And anyways, how was he supposed to tell Sierra that it was his fault?

Sesshomaru feared only one thing; he feared that Sierra would hate him when she found out the truth about why she had been cursed.

"You shouldn't ask such foolish questions."

Sesshomaru wished he could take back his words the moment he saw the look of hurt on Sierra's face. He hadn't thought about how his words would sound.

"I'm sorry Father," she said, and then she ran from him. That hurt Sesshomaru more than anything else. He didn't want her to run from him, not ever.

Sesshomaru watched her go, knowing he should apologize for hurting her. But he couldn't. Sesshomaru didn't know how to say he was sorry. He didn't know how to deal with his human daughter. All he could seem to do was watch helplessly as she ran.

* * *

So yeah, that's how Sesshomaru is seeing things. He's really torn up about all this. But he's not telling anyone. I am however. So yeah, tell me what you think in a review!


	11. Chapter 11

I must apologize for this taking so long. But you see, my family went on vacation to Tenn. to see Graceland. It was totally cool, and I love Elvis! He was the best singer ever!

Ahem. Anyways, besides simply going on vacation, Syco and I are also redoing the other stories that we've got on here, which kind of slowed this work down. So, yeah, my apologies to everyone.

**Kayako:** You're right, they do need to stop treating Sierra like every little thing will kill here, but you must remember. In Sesshomaru and Lilianna's minds, every little thing _could_ kill her. As for Sierra's looks, I put them in this chapter. I hope it meets your approval.

I do not own Inuyasha. Why would someone think I did? 'Cause it should be obvious I don't. I mean, if I owned Inuyasha, I wouldn't be writing a fanfic now would I?

* * *

Sierra stared silently in her mirror as she braided her hair. It was a style that her Aunt Kagome had taught her and one that Sierra liked. She finished her braid and studied her reflection with a smile. Her long white hair was braided perfectly and her short bangs stopped just above her big blue eyes. Despite the fact that she was human, she still gotten her looks from her parents. According to Lilianna, Sierra had inherited her father's hair, and her mother's eyes.

Sierra leaned closer to the mirror, studying her reflection. Sierra thought her face was kind of round, though Aunt Kagome referred to it as heart-shaped. Her skin was pale, like porcelain. Her nose was small and turned up only just enough to give her a childish look. Sierra had also managed to inherit her mother's full, pouty mouth.

Sierra stood and examined her body in the mirror. At thirteen, her womanly curves were still rather lacking. Not to mention the fact that she was tiny. Sierra barely capped five feet, but her mother assured her that she would grow some more. Sierra hoped so. Surrounded by many tall yokai, Sierra didn't like to be so short.

"Something's still missing," Sierra mused. She frowned trying to figure out what it was. "I wish Mother let me wear make up."

Sierra had asked Lilianna for permission once. Lilianna had said that if her Father agreed, then Sierra could wear make up. Sierra hadn't even bothered to ask Sesshomaru about it. Sierra was certain she already knew what her Father's answer would be.

But still, today Sierra wanted to look extra special. She'd worn her favorite kimono, the blue one with purple and pink butterfly patterns. She'd fixed her hair as best she could. But still, Sierra felt as though it wasn't enough. After all today was the day her Father was coming home from his trip to the Southern Lands.

Sierra blushed slightly and admitted to herself that wasn't the only reason she wanted to look special. Along with Sesshomaru, the yokai that had gone to the South with him were coming back as well, amongst them being Rai.

Rai was a young dog yokai, not to much older than Sierra. Rai's father served Sesshomaru and often went with Sesshomaru on diplomatic trips such as this one. The man had just recently started taking Rai along with him so that Rai could begin to learn the tricks of the trade.

And at the moment Sierra was nursing a crush on Rai.

Sierra hadn't told anyone about her feelings for Rai, although Sierra thought her Mother might suspect. The only problem with the situation was that Rai seemed not to notice that Sierra existed. She knew that he knew she was there; you couldn't live in the West and not know about Sesshomaru's human daughter, much less live in the palace and not know. However, like most yokai in the palace Rai simply ignored her.

It was Sierra's hope that she would look pretty enough today to get his attention. But her plan didn't seem to be going well. "Maybe if I had some jewelry," she said. But Sierra didn't have any jewelry. She was after all, still a child, and therefore too young to wear anything like that.

"I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Sierra said glumly.

There was a quick knock on her bedroom door, and then the door opened to reveal her eldest brother, Inutaisho. "Are you ready yet, Sierra?" he asked.

Sierra turned to face him with a smile. "I'm ready, Inutaisho."

Inutaisho nodded. "Good. Father is almost here. By the way, you look nice."

Sierra flushed with pleasure at his compliment. Sierra would never admit it to anyone, even under threat of death, but Inutaisho was her favorite brother. Kit and Kat always teased and poked fun at her, in true big brother fashion, and that grated on Sierra's nerves. Inutaisho never did however. He always seemed to be looking after her, and Sierra valued his opinion over everyone's save her parents'.

They walked along the halls in silence. There wasn't a need to say anything, as the hustle and bustle about the castle in preparation of Lord Sesshomaru's return said all their feelings for them. Or at least Sierra felt that way. She wasn't quite sure that Inutaisho would agree with her, and so said nothing.

Soon they made it to the front walk inside the gate and then Inutaisho left Sierra to take his proper place right behind their Mother. Sierra took her own spot behind the twins, Kit and Kat.

"It took you long enough to get down here," said Kit.

"Yeah, Father's almost here," said Kat.

"Why are you so slow?" asked Kit with a teasing smile.

Sierra lifted her chin, imitating a haughty manner. "Because I'm a lady, and it takes us a while to get ready."

Kit and Kat both laughed, knowing she wasn't actually serious. Their reply was cut off though by the sudden blast of horns that announced Lord Sesshomaru's arrival. The large gates swung open, and Sierra felt her face break into a proud smile at the sight of her Father walking through the gates so regally, and at the sound of the cheers that broke out at his return.

No doubt about it. Sierra was proud of her Father, and she loved him more than anything, or anyone else for that matter. That was why she was always so desperate to make him proud of her. So far as Sierra knew though, she still had a lot of work to do on that front.

Sesshomaru strode forwards easily, and from the look on his face one might think he'd only been gone for a day, not an entire month. He went first to Lilianna, as was proper, and greeted her. Then he looked at his children, who were all standing silently behind Lilianna. He sent them a nod, but said nothing. Then the whole procession began to move inside, to go to the banquet that had been made to celebrate Lord Sesshomaru's return.

As they walked Sierra looked around for Rai, and soon spotted him. He was an extraordinarily good looking yokai, or at least, that was the general opinion of the young ladies of the castle. He was already almost six feet tall, and it was certain he'd grown some more before he was an adult. His hair was pitch black, with dark red streaks. His eyes were honey colored, a startling contrast with his hair. His skin was pale, and he had one dark red stripe on each cheek.

At the moment he had fallen away from his place beside his father, and was walking with a number of his friends. Sierra watched enviously as they crowded around him. Rai was extremely popular amongst the younger crowd.

By that time they had made it to the banquet hall, and every one sat in their seats. One thing that never ceased to amaze Sierra was how much yokai could eat. They didn't even need to eat as often as humans did, but they could eat so much. Sierra was always full long before anyone else at the table. It also amazed her how much they could drink before they got drunk. She'd always felt she'd drown herself if she'd tried to drink as much as they did.

She looked wistfully down the long table to where the younger generation sat talking animatedly. Sierra and her brothers had none ever been allowed to sit down there. They all had to sit at the top of the table with their parents. Sierra didn't know about her brothers, but she had always wished she could sit down there and be apart of the crowd.

Several hours slipped by before the feast finally ended. When it came to a close the yokai all drifted away, most likely to rest. Sierra stood and winced slightly. Her legs had cramped from sitting in the same position so long.

"Are you all right Sierra?"

Sierra looked up into her Mother's concerned face. "I'm fine Mother, just a little tired." She didn't want to mention her legs cramping.

"Perhaps you should take a nap."

A part of Sierra rebelled against this. She wasn't a baby any more, and she didn't need a nap. Sierra knew from experience that all she needed was the chance to stretch her legs and the cramps would go away. But she couldn't argue with her Mother, so Sierra nodded her head in acceptance.

"Yes Mother." She bowed to her parents and left the banquet hall.

Sierra walked down the halls slowly towards her room thinking. Perhaps instead of a nap she could read a book. After all, that could still count as resting.

Sierra sighed and shook her head. That wouldn't do. Not if her parents found out, and Sierra was certain they would.

Sierra rounded a corner only to fall back when she ran in to something. Or rather, someone, Sierra realized as the person caught her. She looked up to see that the culprit was in fact Rai.

"My apologies Princess," he said as he settled her back on her feet. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Sierra knew she was blushing, and that knowledge only made her blush more. "Oh, no, it's fine, really." She looked up at him shyly, and was a bit hurt to see his honey colored eyes were closed to her.

"In that case," said a new voice, "let's go Rai."

For the first time Sierra realized that there was someone else with Rai. This knowledge made Sierra feel even more stupid than she had been previously.

The other person was Yumi, a female inu yokai. She was a beauty with honey colored hair and light green eyes. She was the daughter of a noble, and even Sierra, with her limited contact with other people knew her to be a cunning and bossy sort of person.

Sierra looked at Yumi, and to her surprise, Yumi met her gaze, not with closed eyes, but open. Sierra wished they had been closed. In Yumi's eyes, Sierra saw that Yumi knew about her feelings for Rai, and Yumi didn't approve.

As if to prove Sierra's feeling right, Yumi slipped her arm through Rai's. "Come on, you said you wanted to show me something."

Rai looked at Yumi and smiled. "Of course." He glanced back at Sierra. "Excuse us Princess."

Sierra nodded wordlessly and they moved past her.

Sierra went quickly to her room and threw herself on her bed, tears burning her eyes. Why had she ever thought that Rai might like her? She was after all, just a human, and no where near as beautiful as the female yokais. She was, in comparison, nothing.

Sierra rolled on her back and rubbed a hand across her eyes trying to get rid of her tears. She hated that she cried so easily, and she always tried not to. Sierra was certain that if only she wasn't a human, everything would be better for her.

"But why," she whispered, "why am I a human?"

Sierra didn't know. After she had asked her Father that one time, she had never asked the question again. And she wouldn't either. Not if it made her Father unhappy with her.

But still, Sierra wished she knew why. She wished she were a yokai like the rest of her family.

If only.

* * *

Okay, that's that. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even though I was cruel to Sierra once again. Honestly, I think if my characters could come out of their stories, they might hate me. Anywho, this was the last chapter about Sierra's childhood. We are finally getting to the main part of the story. Many thanks to those of you who have stuck with me thus far.

Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

Okay, here is the twelth chapter of Sesshomaru's Daughter. It is my longest chapter yet, I think, being a full ten pages on word. I hope you all enjoy this one.

I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

"Happy 16th birthday to me," Sierra said as she ran a brush through her now waist length hair. It was hard to believe that she was already 16 years old. In Sierra's mind it seemed just yesterday that she'd been a small child. Now she was an adult.

"I don't feel very grown up," Sierra admitted to her reflection. Then she frowned. "But at the same time, I feel like I'm ancient." Sierra shook her head with a wry smile. "Feelings are funny aren't they?"

Sierra set her brush down and pulled her hair back with a ribbon. She wished she could let it hang down. However, her parents still wanted Sierra to wear her hair up in the way that children did. They couldn't seem to realize that were Sierra living amongst humans, she'd probably already be off in a house of her own.

"I suppose it's understandable though," she said. "After all, Inutaisho is 29, and the twins are 26, and they aren't thought of as adults yet. Of course, they aren't considered children, but they aren't adults either."

"Still," Sierra said standing, "I wish they didn't treat me like a baby."

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," Sierra said, thinking it was most likely one of her brothers come to get her for lunch.

The door opened and standing in the doorway was Kagome.

"Aunt Kagome!" Sierra cried.

Kagome smiled and held her arms open for a hug. "Happy birthday Sierra!"

Sierra rushed to her and the two women embraced tightly. Sierra pulled back after a moment to look at Kagome. Kagome appeared to be only in her late twenties though she was by now in her forties. Sierra knew that thanks to the bond that formed when Kagome married Inuyasha she would live as long as he did. Sierra felt a pang in her chest when she thought that her human aunt would live longer than she would.

"Aren't you going to greet us?" asked a gruff voice.

Sierra looked behind Kagome to see Inuyasha, Isamu and Ran. She smiled at them all. "Of course I will, Uncle Inuyasha," she said giving Inuyasha a hug that he gladly returned.

Then Ran and Isamu pounced on her. Both hugged her tightly, and then Ran started to pull Sierra back to her room. "Come on," she said, "you've got to see the present that we got you."

Isamu and Ran led Sierra back to her vanity and made her sit down. "Close your eyes," Ran ordered.

Sierra looked up at the two and frowned playfully. "Why?"

"Because it's a surprise," Isamu stated. "Now close them."

Sierra obediently closed her eyes, and felt the two undoing her bow. They ran a brush through her hair and began to style it. "There!" Ran exclaimed. "You can open your eyes now."

Sierra opened her eyes and gasped at what she saw. They had braided a rope of purple pearls and light blue sapphires in her hair, and then wound the braid around her head like a crown. The effect was stunning. If Sierra hadn't felt grownup before, she certainly looked so now.

"It's beautiful," she said. Sierra stood and hugged her cousins once more. "Thank you so much."

"Sierra, your Uncle and I have gifts for you as well," Kagome said with a smile.

Sierra looked at them with surprised eyes. She hadn't expected any more gifts.

Kagome pulled a package out of her bag and handed it to Sierra. "This is from Sango and Miroku actually."

Sierra felt even more surprised. She had never met the two, but she'd heard so many stories about them and their six children that Sierra almost felt she knew Sango and Miroku. Still, she never would have thought they'd send a present to a girl they'd never met before.

Sierra opened it and held up one of the most beautiful kimonos she'd ever seen. It was a soft purple color, with a blue river circling the bottom of the kimono and the sleeves. Pink flowers, so vivid they almost seemed real, dotted the emerald green grass by the river.

"It's beautiful. Tell them I said thank you."

"We will," Inuyasha said. "But now you have to open our gift."

He handed her a small box, and Sierra opened that one as well. Inside laid two small daggers. The daggers'' sheathes were beautiful, made of silver and encrusted with precious jewels. But when Sierra drew one of the daggers, she found that it wasn't an ornament like she'd expected, but an actual usable weapon.

"Oh," Sierra said her eyes wide. "Thank you, but I don't really know how to use them."

"And hopefully you won't ever need to," Inuyasha said, "but I'm going to teach you anyways."

Sierra bit her lip. "I don't think Father will approve."

"Keh, since when have I cared what Sesshomaru thinks?" Inuyasha said.

"Never," Kagome said dryly.

"Exactly," Inuyasha said. "We'll start your training tomorrow after breakfast."

"But I don't have anything to wear," Sierra protested.

Kagome pulled another package out of her bag. "Here, these are some training clothes I got for you."

Sierra nodded, and accepted them with a smile. "Thank you. I look forward to this a lot."

And to Sierra's surprise, she really did. Sierra had never done anything more strenuous than dancing her whole life and the thought of being able to just move excited her to no end.

"It's time for lunch," Isamu said, "we don't want to be late."

The five left for the dinning room, trying to catch up with each other's business while walking down the hall. In the end, they did wind up being a minute late to lunch, but Sierra found that she wasn't mortified like she usually would have been. She was so happy that Inuyasha and Kagome had come to visit that she couldn't seem to wipe the smile off her face or feel anything other than happiness.

Sierra took her place by her brothers and Inuyasha and his family sat in theirs. Once they were seated the food was served and they began to eat. Quiet conversation flowed amongst the lunch guests, but Sierra found herself growing impatient. She wanted lunch to end so that she could spend time with her cousins.

Eventually lunch did end, and the three girls excused themselves and headed for the gardens.

"Now that we're alone, it's time for girl talk," Ran said with a giggle, earning a giggle from Sierra and Isamu as well. Ran's laughter was infectious.

"Excuse me ladies."

The girls stopped, and turned. Standing behind them was Shen. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked sending Sierra a slightly reproving look.

Sierra dropped her eyes, knowing what it meant. She wasn't to go into the gardens alone. But still, she wasn't alone, she was with her cousins. And besides that, she was 16! She didn't need a babysitter to hold her hand.

And why did Shen have to be the one to watch them? He didn't usually watch over Sierra. However, when Sierra thought about it, she realized that when her cousins were visiting it was always Shen who stayed with them.

"Of course we don't mind," Isamu said with a soft smile, and Sierra saw, a slight blush.

"But Isamu," Ran said in protest. "We were going to have girl talk, and we can't do that if there's a guy around."

Isamu sent Ran a cold look. "Ran, don't be rude," she said sharply.

Sierra and Ran were both surprised. Isamu never spoke sharply.

"I'm sorry for my sister's rudeness," Isamu said blushing.

Shen smiled. "It's quite alright. I'm sure she didn't mean to be."

The four started walking in silence, Sierra puzzling Isamu's strange behavior, and Shen's. A thought began to form in Sierra's mind. Could it be?

"Isamu," Sierra said, "haven't you finished your priestess training now?"

Isamu looked down, blushing slightly. "Yes, I have."

"So," Sierra continued, "doesn't that mean you'll be looking for a village of your own to take care of now?" Sierra noted how Shen glanced over slightly. For someone that didn't reveal emotions much, Sierra knew that meant Shen was interested in her answer.

Isamu shrugged slightly. "I don't know. Our village isn't really the size that we need two priestesses, but we're growing. We might need two priestesses soon."

"Would you ever want to leave home?" Sierra asked.

Isamu glanced at Shen and looked down blushing. "Sometimes, I do."

"Eh?" said Ran. "You never said anything about leaving to me!"

"I didn't say I was going to leave," said Isamu. "It's just, sometimes; I think I might want to, if the situation was right."

"And what exactly would be the right situation?" asked Ran with narrowed eyes.

Isamu blushed, a very noticeable shade of red and looked away. "That's private."

"In other words, it's girl talk that you can't say in front of Shen."

"Ran!" exclaimed Isamu and Sierra at the same time. Isamu's face had turned an even brighter shade a red.

"What? I'm just calling it like I see it."

Ran could never be accused of tactfulness.

"Excuse us one moment please," Sierra said, sending Isamu and Shen a quick smile. Sierra grabbed Ran's hand and dragged her off. Once they had gotten far enough away that Shen wouldn't hear, Sierra hoped, she stopped and spoke in a furious whisper.

"Ran, what are you doing?"

Ran stared at Sierra blankly. "I have no idea, but apparently you do so could you please enlighten me?"

Sierra sighed. "You can be so dense, you know that? Okay, I think Isamu has a thing for Shen, and you are embarrassing her! Plus, I think Shen might have feelings for her too."

"What? No way!"

"Keep your voice down! Shen might hear you!"

Ran lowered her voice. "What makes you so sure?"  
"Well, Isamu always acts strange around Shen, I mean; she gets upset easier, and blushes over little unimportant things. Also, you know how it's always Shen that watches us when we're together? Well, he almost never watches over me when you two aren't here. He is too busy with his real work. Plus, I know for a fact that he was interested in Isamu's answer about whether or not she wanted to leave home."

"How do you know that? I can't tell whether these people are happy or sad most of the time."

Sierra shrugged. "I grew up here; I've learned to look for the little things that show."

Ran shook her head in wonder. "Still, I can't believe that Isamu has feelings for Shen, and I never noticed!"

"She what?!"

The girls both shouted and turned to see who had snuck up on them. It was Inuyasha, and he didn't look happy.

"Um," Sierra said, trying to think of what she could say that would calm her uncle. Unfortunately, that was the moment that Shen and Isamu chose to arrive on the scene, no doubt attracted by Ran and Sierra's shouts.

"Is everything alright?" Shen asked.

Inuyasha transferred his glare to Shen, and opened his mouth to say something. What he was going to say the world will never know, because Ran and Sierra both covered his mouth with their hands before he could speak.

"Ah, we're fine, fine!" Sierra said quickly and with a nervous smile.

Isamu looked confused and Shen raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah, everything's great, we just need a word with my Dad," Ran said.

"A private word," Sierra added.

The two girls began to forcibly pull Inuyasha away. "Excuse us again won't you?" Ran said.

Shen shook his head with a small smile as the three disappeared. "There's never a dull moment with your family is there?"

Isamu sighed with a slight blush. "No, I'm afraid not."

* * *

Ran and Sierra dragged Inuyasha off quite a ways before he finally stopped them. He pulled their hands off his mouth and glared down at the two. "Okay, what's going on here?"

"You were about to blow Isamu's secret, Dad!" Ran said.

Inuyasha crossed his arms and stared at the two girls.

"Oh please don't say anything, Uncle Inuyasha," Sierra begged. "We think that Isamu has feeling for Shen, and I for one feel that Shen might return them. Wouldn't it be great if those two got together?"

"No," said Inuyasha.

"Why not?" demanded Ran. "Those two were made for each other if you ask me."

"Because," said Inuyasha, "Isamu isn't allowed to get married until I'm dead."

Ran sighed, "Do we have to take this to Mom?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Why would that change anything?"

"Because," said Ran, "I happen to know that Mom keeps a certain necklace with her at all times just in case she needs to knock some sense into you."

Inuyasha was silent a moment. "Fine. I'll keep quiet. But the moment that rat does something I don't like, I'm killing him."

Ran smiled. "Of course Dad."

Inuyasha stomped off muttering curses under his breath, leaving Ran and Sierra in a fit of giggles.

* * *

Kagome and Lilianna walked together through the gardens as had become a habit of theirs. They had been conversing about the recent happening in their lives, and a lull had fallen in the conversation.

Kagome decided that now would be a good time to bring up a few things that she'd wanted to talk about. "Lilianna, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Of course not Kagome," Lilianna said.

"I was wondering if you and Sesshomaru would allow Sierra to come back with Inuyasha and me when we return to our village."

Lilianna looked startled. It was apparent that she had not expected a question like this. "I-I don't know Kagome. That's a big request. I'm not sure Sesshomaru would approve."

"Why not?" Kagome said. "She'll be perfectly safe with us, and it would be good for her. Honestly, Lilianna, the girl's never once been outside the palace walls. Visiting Inuyasha and I in our home will be a wonderful experience for her."

Lilianna shook her head. "I don't think that it's a good idea."

Kagome stopped walking. "Why? Give me one good reason why Sierra shouldn't come."

"She could run into dangers."

"Inuyasha and I will protect her."

"She isn't used to life outside the palace."

"This would be a great opportunity for her to learn."

Lilianna was beginning to sound desperate. "She is still merely a child."

Kagome threw her hands up in frustration. "She isn't a child Lilianna! Sierra is a full grown adult! Most human women her age are already married and pregnant!"

"Your girls aren't," Lilianna countered.

"That's because Isamu was busy with priestess training. She wouldn't have had time for a family. And as for Ran, she's never shown an interest in marriage. But it doesn't change the fact that both of them are full grown women. In fact, neither of them lives in the house with Inuyasha and me anymore. They both have their own separate houses in the village."

Lilianna looked surprised. "They do?"

Kagome nodded, some of her patience returning. "Yes, they do. And either of them could leave the village at any time. They are adults, and they are their own people. That's how Inuyasha and I treat them, and it's how you should treat Sierra as well."

"Are you saying we should send Sierra off to live in her own palace?" Lilianna said with a frown.

"No," Kagome said with a sigh, "I'm not saying that. Let her live here if she wants to. I am saying you should stop treating her like a baby. Let her go in the gardens alone, let her eat what she wants, let her travel if she so desires. Let Sierra be herself."

Lilianna looked down. "You don't understand Kagome. It's hard watching my baby grow up so fast."

"Lilianna, every human mother understands what you're going through. All of our children grow up this fast, and it isn't any easier for us than it is for you."

Lilianna smiled. "I guess not. I'll speak to Sesshomaru about allowing Sierra to go with you and Inuyasha. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you, though. Sesshomaru is even more stubborn than I am when it comes to Sierra."

Kagome smiled. "I can imagine."

They began to walk once more, and finally Kagome voiced her second thought. "Also, I was wondering Lilianna…Have you and Sesshomaru ever told Sierra why she's human?"

There was a long silence from Lilianna. "No, we haven't."  
"She needs to know."

"She's never asked."

Kagome's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? I thought she would have by now."

Lilianna shrugged. "She's never asked me at least. If she's asked Sesshomaru, he never said anything to me about it which means he didn't tell her."

"I see," Kagome said. "And do you two ever plan on telling her?"

Lilianna shrugged slightly. "If she asks I will tell her. But if she doesn't I will remain silent."

Kagome nodded. "But I wonder if she knows its okay to ask."

Lilianna looked at Kagome sharply. "Of course she does. Sierra can come to Sesshomaru and me for anything."

Kagome was silent, wondering how well Lilianna would take what she wanted to say. "I know its okay, but I'm not sure Sierra does."

Lilianna narrowed her eyes at Kagome, a sure sign of anger. "What makes you think that?"

Kagome bit her lip as she tried to think of a tactful way to say this. "Lilianna, when was the last time Sierra actually looked you in the eyes?"

Lilianna was silent, her face pale. Kagome could tell she'd struck a nerve. "Why won't she look at you Lilianna?"

"I don't know," she said faintly. "I wish I did, but I don't. She's even worse with Sesshomaru. I don't think she's looked him in the face for weeks. He hates that. He won't say anything, but I can tell. The worst part is that we don't know why."

"This may seem a bit random, but when is the last time you or Sesshomaru told Sierra that you love her?"

Lilianna looked at Kagome sharply. "We tell her all the time of course."

"I'm sure you tell her many times every day," Kagome said, "but when was the last time you said it with words?"

"With words? What difference does that make?"

"It can make a lot of difference, sometimes. Lilianna, I have a feeling that Sierra is the sort of person who needs to hear with words that she is loved. She needs someone to tell her with words that she is special."

"We're not so good with words," Lilianna said.

"You need to try. For her sake."

Lilianna nodded. "If you will excuse me."

"Of course," Kagome said as Lilianna walked away.

* * *

Sesshomaru was sitting in his study riffling through papers that he really needed to pay attention to, but didn't really feel like taking care of. The paperwork was the part about being a ruler that Sesshomaru hated the most. Everything else he could deal with.

Perhaps, Sesshomaru mused, he could use his brother's visit as an excuse to put off doing work. Though Sesshomaru wasn't sure how well that would work. After all, he and Inuyasha still didn't really like each other, though they had come to a truce over the years.

A knock on the door interrupted his line of thought. "Enter," he said.

Lilianna walked in, and Sesshomaru couldn't help but be amazed by her beauty as he usually was. Her soft pink hair fell almost to the floor, and her skin was porcelain white with light blue stripes on each cheek, as well as a light blue lily on her forehead. Her eyes were blue, though a darker shade than her markings.

At this moment her eyes were shadowed, letting Sesshomaru know something was wrong.

She sat down in front of his desk. "Sesshomaru, Kagome brought up a request, and I promised her I'd speak to you about it."

Sesshomaru nodded, wondering what sort of request Kagome could have made that that Lilianna couldn't grant herself. "Very well. What does she want?"

"Kagome asked that Sierra be allowed to return with her and Inuyasha when they go back to their village."

"No."

"Kagome seems to think it would be good for her."

"I won't allow it Lilianna. Sierra is safe here. I don't know that she'll be kept safe if she leaves."

"Inuyasha and Kagome wouldn't let anyone hurt her."

"They wouldn't let anyone, but that doesn't mean they could stop someone. I only trust Sierra to be safe here. I won't risk it Lilianna, and that's finale."

Lilianna bowed her head in acceptance, and Sesshomaru knew she would say no more about this. She understood when his mind could not be changed.

"Sesshomaru," Lilianna said again, somewhat hesitantly.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. What subject did she need to be hesitant about with him?

"Has Sierra ever asked you why she was born a human?"

Sesshomaru was silent a moment, remembering that day in the library. "Once when she was a small child; I didn't tell her then because she was too young to understand."

"Do you think we should tell her now?"

"Has she asked?"

Lilianna shook her head, some of her hair falling into her face. She pushed it back and said, "No, but I was wondering if we should tell her anyways."

"If she hasn't asked, she obviously doesn't care to know."

"I'm not so sure about that," Lilianna said. "I know that's how we think, but what if she thinks differently? What if she thinks that she isn't allowed to ask?"

"Why would she think that?" Sesshomaru asked leaning forward on his desk.

Lilianna shrugged. "How did you respond when she first asked you about it?"

Sesshomaru thought back and mentally winced. It was possible; he admitted silently, that she didn't think it was okay to ask. The idea that Sierra felt she was unable to come to him for something bothered Sesshomaru. He wanted Sierra to come to him for everything. However, Sierra wouldn't even look at him most of the time.

"It is possible," he conceded to Lilianna.

"Then should we bring it up?"

Sesshomaru was silent. He supposed that Sierra did deserve to know, but he was loathe to tell her. If Sierra didn't care to spend time around him now, how much would she hate him if she knew that her curse was his fault? Once more Sesshomaru found himself wishing he'd just killed Yuki instead of letting her live.

"I will consider it," he finally said in response to Lilianna's question.

Lilianna bowed. "Very well. If you will excuse me."

Sesshomaru sat at his desk a long time after Lilianna left.

* * *

Sierra was walking to her room after dinner. She was still required to go to bed, not right after dinner, but thirty minutes afterwards. She had spent her thirty minutes with Isamu and Ran, and so was heading to bed.

Ran had groaned and complained when she left, and it had taken every ounce of Sierra's willpower not to join her. Sierra felt that her parents rule was ridiculous as well, but she wasn't really in any position to say anything about it.

"I hate it when they're here."

Sierra pulled up short when she unexpectedly heard a voice. She recognized it as Yumi's. Sierra didn't feel like meeting any yokai this night, and especially not that one, so she started to walk to her room a different way. It wasn't because Yumi had stolen Rai's heart those years ago, or that Yumi still held it in her hands. At this point in her life, Sierra didn't care about Rai one way or the other. Yumi was simply an unpleasant person.

"I know. I wish those filthy humans would just leave," said another voice, one Sierra didn't recognize.

The words, though, stopped Sierra in her tracks. There were only a few humans in the palace.

"I can't believe that Lord Sesshomaru would even consider allowing those creatures to stay," said Yumi. "You know, my father says that it is a sign that Lord Sesshomaru is growing weak."

Sierra felt a flash of anger rush through her. How dare they speak of her Father in such a manner! Sesshomaru was absolutely not weak, as Yumi and her friend would soon realize if Sesshomaru had heard them say these things.

"My parents say his weakness started when the Princess was born," said the unfamiliar voice. "They say that a yokai would have to be a weak fool to keep a human child, and I for one agree."

"As would any proper yokai," Yumi replied. "If I ever had a human baby, I'd kill it myself."

Sierra clenched her teeth. She wanted to run away from these horrible words, but somehow she found she couldn't move. She stayed where she was listening.

"Do you suppose that someone would think Sesshomaru weak enough to attack?" the other voice asked curiously.

Sierra was shocked both by the yokai's disrespect in not saying his title, but by the fact that she could so easily speak of rebellion.

"It is possible," Yumi conceded. "After all, I've heard unhappy murmurings from quite a few of the residents here. In all honesty, it wouldn't surprise me if someone did decide to try and overthrow him within the next fifteen or twenty years."

Fifteen to twenty years. That was a long time for a human, but by yokai standards, it would be soon. Sierra felt sick. Could this possibly be true?

"And you know," Yumi continued, "it's all because that girl was born. No doubt that if she hadn't been Sesshomaru would still be seen a powerful Lord, and no one would even dream of trying to overthrow him. A pity she didn't die in childbirth."

"A greater pity that Sesshomaru never killed her," the other said.

Sierra ran, unable to stand anymore of this talk. Did all the yokai truly feel this way? Did they think of Sesshomaru as weak, and all because of her?

Sierra hated that thought.

She made it to her room, and locked the door. Normally she didn't bother with the lock, but tonight she wanted it. Sierra sank down in front of the door and tears slipped down her face. More than anything Sierra loved her Father. Sesshomaru mattered more to her than the very air she breathed, and to know that people thought worse of her Father because of her tore at Sierra's heart.

_A pity she didn't die in childbirth._

Sierra never thought that she would agree with anything Yumi said, but suddenly, she did.

"It would have been better if I had died. It would have been better if I'd never been born," Sierra wept. "I am nothing more than a shameful blot to my family."

And Sierra knew it was true. She had known it since she was a child, but this was the first time she'd voiced it out loud. But she must be. Why else did they never allow her outside the Palace? Why else did her parents spend more time with her brothers than with her? Why else would so many of the yokai in the Palace look at her as if she were little better than garbage?

She was an embarrassment, a mistake. Her parents were simply too good to get rid of her.

It suddenly occurred to Sierra, that even though they wouldn't get rid of her, she could get rid of herself.

Sierra lifted her eyes and saw the daggers that Inuyasha and Kagome had given her. It would work. If she were dead, there would be no more reason for her family to be ashamed.

Sierra stood shakily, her eyes still resting on the daggers. She walked stiffly to the dresser where they were laying and picked one up. One quick cut and it would all be over.

Feeling sick, Sierra dropped the dagger. There was no way she could kill herself. As much as she didn't want to be a burden on her family, Sierra wanted to live. But Sierra didn't know how she could have it both ways.

Sierra shakily walked over to her window and opened it for a breath of fresh air. The night air was cool, and the breeze made her feel somewhat better. Staring listlessly out into the night, Sierra found herself staring at the Palace wall. Absently she wished she could be somewhere, anywhere, past it.

That was it. Sierra knew what she could do. She would run away. That way she could leave her family in peace and still be alive.

Granted Sierra's whole knowledge of the outside world came solely from the books she read, but Sierra felt certain she could manage. After all, the world couldn't be too different than from what she read.

But how to go about getting out of the Palace? That would require some planning. Sierra would have to wait for a good opportunity, and meanwhile she'd find a way to pack for this without anyone figuring out what she was doing. Not many people came into her room so it shouldn't be too hard.

Sierra changed for bed and crawled in between the sheets. Her mind was still in a whirl. Would her family, she wondered, miss her when she was gone? Probably not, Sierra decided. Of course her Father would have to send someone after her, but Sierra doubted that they would search very hard.

Those thoughts actually hurt. It would make running away easier for her, but still, it hurt to think that her Father didn't care about her.

"Time to face the facts," Sierra said to herself. "No matter how hard I ever tried, I never managed to earn his love."

Sierra closed her eyes in an attempt to block her tears. Even if the thought was the truth, it still hurt. And no one would ever be able to convince her that her belief wasn't true, save Sesshomaru himself.

That was because Sierra couldn't remember Sesshomaru ever once saying that he loved her, and if he didn't say something, he didn't feel it.

* * *

And there it is folks. Sierra is going to run away. Now, I really hope that this desision doesn't seem to sudden. Sierra didn't hear one hurtful conversation and decide to run away. That's the sort of scorn and disgust she's been dealing with her whole life, and Yumi's conversation was, as they say, the straw that broke the camel's back. That's why the last couple of chapters were showing Sierra's childhood, in hopes that it would help you understand this moment.

Anyways, I just hope it came out okay, and not to rushed. Let me know what you think in a review why don't you?


	13. Chapter 13

Whew, this to absolutely forever to get done. But this is a very important chapter, and needed special attention. You'll see why.

I don' own Inuyasha.

* * *

Sierra fell to the ground, for what felt like the hundredth time. She was practicing her fighting with Inuyasha, and never before had Sierra felt so tired or sore.

Despite the physical pain involved, Sierra had never enjoyed something so much. The freedom of moving quickly was absolutely intoxicating. At least until Inuyasha knocked her down again.

Inuyasha held out a hand to help her up. "Well, you're doing better. You lasted seven seconds that time."

"A second more for every day," Sierra said wryly.

It had been a week since her training had begun, and a week since her decision to run away from home. As of yet she hadn't found a good opportunity to run away. So, Sierra was waiting. She decided it was probably for the best anyways. It gave her a bit more time for her lessons with Uncle Inuyasha. Although, they didn't seem to be progressing all that much.

"That's all for today," Inuyasha said. "And for a while. Kagome and I are leaving the day after tomorrow."

Sierra felt a rush a disappointment. She had hoped they would be staying longer. Sierra reminded herself that it didn't matter anyways. She would be leaving soon herself.

"I'm going to miss you," Sierra said.

Inuyasha smiled and placed and hand on her shoulder. "We'll miss you too. Now go wash up before someone sees you."

Sierra nodded and ran off. She made it to her room without being seen. She put away her daggers, and then started to the bathroom that was connected to her room. Before she made it in, however, there was a knock at the door.

Sierra froze. She had no idea who it was at the door, but right now was a very bad time for her to answer. Sierra knew without a doubt that Sesshomaru would not have approved of her lessons with Inuyasha, and anyone who found out would feel duty bound to tell him.

But she couldn't not answer. If the person at the door was a yokai, and most likely they were, then they knew she was in the room. So, Sierra was left wit little choice about this.

"Enter," she finally said, hoping it might be Kagome. She knew it wasn't Isamu or Ran, as they wouldn't have knocked. Perhaps, she thought, if it was Kit and Kat, they wouldn't tell on her.

The person at the door turned out to be the last person she had expected to see. It was Sesshomaru himself.

Sesshomaru came into the room, and stopped, studying her. Sierra saw the frown that marred his face, and she knew without a doubt that he was not happy.

"What were you doing?" he asked.

Sierra shifted from one foot to the other, her eyes on the ground. She couldn't tell him what she'd really been doing. Sierra was certain that if she did Sesshomaru would take away her daggers, and Sierra knew already that she'd need them if she was going to run away.

"I was in the gardens," Sierra said finally. It was the truth, just not the whole truth.

"Doing what?" Sesshomaru asked.

Sierra glanced up, and saw that his eyes had narrowed. Her attempt to dodge his question had angered him even more it seemed.

Sierra lowered her eyes again and shrugged. "Just some stuff."

"I won't ask again Sierra."

Sierra kept her eyes on the ground and said nothing.

"Look at me!"

Sierra's head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise, and a little fear. She had never heard her Father snarl at anyone like that, and it scared her.

He stood there, saying nothing, and Sierra realized as she stared at him that he was furious. Sesshomaru had clenched his hands into fists, and his jaw was clenched tight as well. His eyes were narrowed into slits, and Sierra thought that she had never seen him so angry before.

"Tell me what you were doing now," he ordered.

Sierra swallowed nervously. She had never outright defied her Father, and the thought of doing so now terrified her. But Sierra didn't see that she had a choice. She needed those daggers, and it was certain he'd take them from her.

"No," she said, her voice little more than a whisper.

Sesshomaru was silent for a minute. "Very well," he finally said, "you will stay in your room until you will tell me." With that Sesshomaru turned around and started walking away.

Sierra's eyes dropped to the ground as soon as Sesshomaru turned. She found she wasn't much affected by Sesshomaru's punishment. "Not like I go anywhere anyways," she said under her breath, and regretted it the moment she heard Sesshomaru stop. She had forgotten for a moment how sensitive his ears were.

Sesshomaru turned his head to look back at her. "What was that?"

Sierra bit her lip, suddenly angry. Why was he asking? She knew he had heard her perfectly. "I don't go anywhere anyways," she repeated, feeling emboldened by her anger. "I go to the dining hall, the class rooms, the library, and the gardens. That's it. That's my world." Sierra looked up into his eyes. "I'm sick to death of it."

Sesshomaru didn't say anything, and for once Sierra couldn't read his face. He simply turned and walked out of the room. Suddenly drained Sierra sank to the floor. Her head snapped up though when she heard a strange click. A minute later she realized what it was. Sesshomaru had locked her in her room.

* * *

Sesshomaru walked down the hall, furious with Sierra, and with himself. He had gone to her room this morning planning to finally tell her about why she was born human. He had thought that maybe Lilianna was right and he should simply tell her.

That had all changed when he'd gone in there and found her so dirty and sweaty. Sierra wasn't supposed to do anything to strain herself, and no one who was under him would allow her to do so. That meant she must have gone off alone, something else that was forbidden.

And then she tried to dodge his questions. Never before had she done something like that.

And the whole time, she'd refused to look at him! Sesshomaru hated that so much! He'd finally lost his temper over it, and ordered her to look at him, but he hadn't felt any better when she did.

She had been afraid of him. The memory made Sesshomaru sick. He didn't want Sierra to be frightened in his presence. He wanted her to trust him with everything.

And then her out right defiance at the end. Never before had any of his children so completely defied him. Sesshomaru wasn't used to it, and he didn't like it. She was supposed to obey him.

Sesshomaru stopped and sighed. More than anything Sesshomaru found himself wishing that he could go back in time, to when Sierra had been so small. Hen she was still only three and four, he had allowed her to crawl in his lap. It had seemed to be her favorite seat when she was that age.

He could remember her small arms wrapped around his neck, and hearing her whisper, "I love you Daddy."

Sesshomaru leaned against a window that looked over the gardens. He had a wish, he realized, greater than that one. He wished that Sierra would love him now.

* * *

Sierra sat on her windowsill looking outside. It was dinner time now, and she still hadn't left her room, nor had Sesshomaru come to speak with her. A servant had brought both her lunch and dinner. Her dinner sat on the table untouched. Sierra wasn't hungry.

So she stared out her window, watching as dark clouds built up in the sky. It was going to storm tonight. From the look of the clouds, Sierra guessed it would be a bad one. Sierra shifted her eyes from the clouds to the wall. Sierra knew how she would leave now.

She would wait for the storm to hit tonight. The rain would cover her scent, and the thunder would cover any noise she made. It wouldn't be long now.

Sierra stood and sat at the table. If she was going to run away tonight, she would need her strength. As she ate her food, Sierra heard the rain begin to fall.

"Good," she whispered. "I leave soon."

Once she finished her meal, Sierra pulled the cord that would summon a servant to take her plate away. She had a feeling it would be reported to Sesshomaru if she didn't.

A few minutes later, a servant came in and took the plate away. Once she was gone, Sierra stood from the table. She pulled an already packed bag out from under her bed as a clap of thunder sounded. Moving quickly, she changed into her training outfit, and grabbed her daggers. She tucked them in her belt the way Inuyasha had told her to carry them. She swung on her cloak as a strike of lightning lit up the room.

"I'm ready," she whispered.

Sierra looked out the window to see that it was now pitch black outside, save when the lightning split the sky. Sierra unlocked the catch on her window, and the wind blew it open knocking Sierra back and slamming the window against her wall, shattering the glass. Luckily, a clap of thunder covered the noise.

Sierra glanced herself over and was relieved to see that the glass shards hadn't cut her. She got up and climbed out her window, and when she stepped outside, the wind almost knocked her over. Sierra caught her footing moved forward, step by careful step.

After what seemed an eternity, Sierra made it to the wall. In the wall was a little door, usually used by servants. Sierra unbolted it and was knocked into the mud when the wind knocked the door open. Unharmed, Sierra got up and tried to pull the door shut behind her but found the task impossible with the wind blowing against her.

So Sierra let it go and turned away. She looked out at the forest that hugged the north and east side of the palace. She knew from looking at maps that the wall surrounding the city did not cover the forest. If she stuck to that she should be able to get out no problem.

Standing in the midst of the storm, Sierra stared at the forest. Never before had she seen one, though she couldn't really get a good look at this one since it was dark and stormy. Sierra took a deep breath to still her pounding heart. Standing straight, Sierra took her very first step outside the palace walls.

* * *

Sesshomaru walked down the hallway slowly, morning light shining through the windows. The storm last night had been one of the worst he'd seen in years. It had lasted for quite a few hours.

Sesshomaru dismissed the storm from his mind. It wasn't all that important. Sesshomaru stopped in front of Sierra's door. He stood there a minute, knowing he had to go in, but reluctant to do so. He didn't want a repeat of the day before. But hopefully, Sierra would be more willing to talk to him now.

As Sesshomaru went to knock, he noticed something odd. He hadn't heard any noise from Sierra's room at all. That shouldn't be right, unless she was still asleep. If the storm the night before had kept her awake, he supposed it might be possible.

Not wanting to wake her if she was asleep, Sesshomaru didn't knock, but simply opened the door and walked inside. Much to his surprise, Sierra wasn't in bed. In fact, it looked as though the bed hadn't been slept in at all. Sesshomaru looked around and saw that the window was wide open and the glass shattered. Sesshomaru's heart rate sped up as he tried to figure out what this meant.

Sesshomaru began to search the room, and was shocked to see that quite a few of Sierra's things were missing as well. Sesshomaru began to feel panic well up inside him, and he hopped out of Sierra's window, trying desperately to figure out what had happened. When he looked straight from Sierra's window, Sesshomaru saw the servant's door in the wall was wide open.

Sesshomaru dashed over to the door. He moved so quickly, that to a human's eyes, it would seem he had simply disappeared, and then reappeared. Sesshomaru sniffed the air by the door. If Sierra had been there, the storm last night had washed away her scent.

Sesshomaru scanned the ground for clues, and saw a piece of cloth. He picked it up and sniffed it, discovering a faint trace of Sierra's scent. The cloth was from her clothing.

Sesshomaru stood, staring out into the forest, wondering what exactly this meant, unable to grasp the answer.

_That's my world. I'm sick to death of it._

It came to Sesshomaru with a sickening blow as he recalled her words. Sierra had run away from home.

* * *

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Yuki leaned forward in her throne like chair, her brown eyes sparkling as she stared at the pool of water at her feet. "So, the little princess has run away from home, has she?"

Yuki smile, showing perfect white teeth. "This couldn't be better if I'd planned it myself."

Yuki stood and walked around the pool of water and out of the room. Outside the door, a young man knelt on the floor in front of her, his eyes on the ground. He had been in that position for the past several hours, ever since Yuki had first gone in the room.

"Kovu, I want you to send some of my soldiers to attack the Western Capitol. Not too many mind you, and not the very strong ones either. I don't plan to win this first battle. I just want to get Sesshomaru's attention. Understand?"

"To hear is to obey," Kovu replied. He stood, careful to keep his head lowered and walked away to do Yuki's bidding.

Yuki smiled again as she walked back to the pool of water. Staring in it, she could see Sesshomaru's image. "You know, Sesshomaru, just cursing your child wasn't enough revenge. I want to destroy you, utterly, and everything you care about. I will destroy the West, your family, and you."

Yuki giggled like a naughty child, her eyes gleaming maniacally. "I think this is going to be fun."

* * *

Dun dun dun! Enter Yuki! What, you guys didn't really think I was done wih her did you? If you did, you thought wrong! I mean, just having Yuki disapear after cursing Sierra is no way to end with a character. Especially with her and Sesshomaru's past. So Yuki the evil one is back!

And as always, Review Please!


	14. Chapter 14

* * *

Well, here is chapter 14. In this, things get a little rougher for every one. Which makes things more entertaining for me. And hopefully, for you as well.

Oh, and for fair warning, school has started back for me. It started on the 1st, wich should be illegal. But it might make my updates come further apart.

**Electromagnetic Powers Rule:** You know, I don't think you relise how happy it makes me to read those words. I'm glad this is your favorite story. That definately makes me want to write more! By the way, I've been wondering something for a while. Are you a fan of Magnito from X-men? Just curious.

I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Shen sat in his room, brooding. Inuyasha and Kagome were leaving after breakfast this morning. Those two Shen didn't really care about. He held a grudging respect for them, but Shen had never really come to like them. This was actually a part of his problem.

Over the years, Shen had found himself more and more taken with Isamu. He was now at the point where he was considering her for his wife. However, he doubted that Inuyasha and Kagome would consent to allow the marriage. And that was only a small part of the issue.

Shen was well aware how most yokai would react if he actually married a human, and it wouldn't be well. Though, Isamu wasn't completely human. She was a fourth yokai. But Shen wasn't sure that would really make a big difference to other yokai. Oh, they wouldn't likely say anything to Shen's face, he was after all one of Sesshomaru's top generals, but it wasn't going to be easy. Especially for Isamu.

Shen sighed. His choices were not made any easier by the fact that they were leaving for their village this day. Isamu was definitely old enough now that men would start showing an interest in her. Past that beginning of that time he realized. The men had probably been kept away because of her training so far. That wouldn't stop them now though.

Shen growled at the thought. He wanted Isamu for himself. But then, he didn't know if Isamu felt the same way. He thought she might, but he wasn't sure. The issues regarding her parents and the other yokais reactions were rather pointless if Isamu didn't share his feelings.

Shen walked into the hall with another sigh. It was time to leave for breakfast. A part of him didn't want to go. He couldn't seem to think coherently when Isamu was in the same room as him.

Shen snorted at the thought. "I can't think coherently when I'm not in the same room with her."

"Trouble in your love life Shen?"

Shen whirled around, embarrassed that he'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts he hadn't noticed this person behind him. The person was Hiro, who was watching Shen with an amused smile.

"It's none of your business," Shen said tightly.

"It's Isamu isn't it?"

Shen looked at Hiro sharply.

Hiro just grinned. "It's obvious to anyone who has an open mind about these things. You know, I think Lady Lilianna and Lord Sesshomaru have figured it out."

Shen winced. At the moment he didn't want anyone knowing.

"They haven't forbidden you, you know," he said.

"I haven't brought it up with them either," Shen pointed out.

"I rather think that Lady Lilianna is hoping you will marry Isamu," Hiro said.

Shen glanced at him. "Why do you say that?"

Hiro looked back at him. "Because it gives her hope. If you are willing to marry a human, then maybe a yokai will want to marry Sierra one day."

Shen was silent. He could understand why Lady Lilianna would hope for a yokai to marry Sierra. Thanks to the bond that formed with their marriage, any human would live as long as the yokai did. It would solve some of the royal family's problems quite nicely.

They were unable to continue their conversation however since they were now almost at the dinning hall. Hiro did manage one last parting shot though. "If you're going to act, do it quick."

Shen already knew he needed to do that. He just didn't know if he was brave enough to go through with it.

Shen took his place near the head of the table, his eyes slipping over to view the object of his current frustration, and desire. Isamu sat serenely beside her parents. Her long white hair was pulled back in a braid, as it usually was. Shen reflected that he'd never actually seen it flowing free. Shen was caught with a sudden desire to undo her hair and see what it would look like.

Shen turned his eyes away to close out this line of thought. Randomly jumping over the table and undoing Isamu's hair would leave a bad impression of his in the mind of all. Looking for a distraction, Shen saw that Princess Sierra wasn't in her seat this morning. Shen remembered that she'd missed both lunch and dinner the day before. Rumor had it that she was in some kind of trouble with Lord Sesshomaru, but what kind exactly eluded everyone.

Oddly enough, Lord Sesshomaru was not in his seat either. Shen wondered why. The Lady Lilianna was seated in her spot, so where was Lord Sesshomaru? Shen guessed that Lady Lilianna did not know either from the way she kept glancing at Lord Sesshomaru's seat.

Suddenly the doors burst open. Everyone looked to see Lord Sesshomaru coming in. He was in a worse temper than Shen could ever recall seeing him in, and even more shocking, he was doing nothing to hide it. That was completely the opposite of how Lord Sesshomaru usually acted.

Completely ignoring most of those present, Lord Sesshomaru barked out, "Lilianna, Shen, Hiro, follow me." Then he stormed off without waiting to see if they were obeying him. Shen thought no one would dare disobey him while he was in this temper.

Those named got up and followed Lord Sesshomaru out, as well as a few extra. Inuyasha and his family came as well, and so did the Princes, Shen noticed. But no one told them to go away, and Shen thought this might very well turn out to be something they needed to know.

Lord Sesshomaru led them to his office, where he didn't sit down, but actually began to pace across the floor.

"Sesshomaru, what's wrong?" Lady Lilianna asked.

"She ran away," Lord Sesshomaru said, fairly spitting out the words.

"Who ran away?" Lady Lilianna asked, looking confused.

Lord Sesshomaru's jaw tightened.

"Sierra," Kagome's voice cut in. "Sierra ran away didn't she?"

Lord Sesshomaru responded with a jerky nod. Lady Lilianna sank into a nearby chair, her face pale.

"Why?" she whispered. "Why would she run away?"

Shen could think of a few reasons, though he said none of them. He didn't say that being born a human in a yokai family could probably break anyone.

"We'll go after her right away," Hiro began, but Lord Sesshomaru cut him off.

"No, Hiro. I will go after Sierra. You and Shen are responsible for watching over the land while I'm gone."

"Surely it won't take you long to catch up with her," Shen said in surprise.

"I didn't say I was coming back as soon as she was found."

Shen felt a moment of pity for Sierra when Lord Sesshomaru found her. He was certain she would soon regret her decision.

Their impromptu meeting was abruptly interrupted by shouts from outside. They rushed to the windows and saw with astonishment that the north wall was under attack.

"Shen, Hiro, to the wall," Lord Sesshomaru ordered. "Boys, make sure your Mother stays out of harms way. Inuyasha, don't get involved."

Lord Sesshomaru was moving before Inuyasha's surly, "Why would I?" was ever voiced.

* * *

Inuyasha watched feeling slightly ticked that Sesshomaru would think that he'd lower himself to fighting his brother's battles. No way would he ever want to. Shen and Hiro raced after Sesshomaru to the battle, while Inutaisho and the brats, as Inuyasha thought of the twins, whisked their mother to some other part of the palace.

Inuyasha leaned against the window to watch the fight.

"You aren't really going to just stand there are you?"

Inuyasha looked back to see his wife and daughters all frowning at him. "Why should I help? Sesshomaru obviously doesn't want it. 'Sides, he has plenty of help already." Inuyasha pointed out the soldiers that were backing him up in the fight.

The frowns didn't change.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked in exasperation.

"Help, of course," Ran said.

"They don't need it," Inuyasha replied.

"He's right," Isamu said suddenly. "Uncle Sesshomaru has already won. It looks like they've taken a prisoner too."

Inuyasha looked down to see that Isamu's report was correct. Curious as to what the prisoner would say, Inuyasha hopped out the window and walked over to where the soldiers were gathered around the lone survivor of the attacking group.

Up close, Inuyasha was surprised that the creature had been brave enough to attack, even with a group of friends. All of them were weak yokai, which even a human warrior could most likely overcome.

"Why did you attack my palace?" Sesshomaru demanded.

"Destroy, destroy," the thing cackled. "My Lady wants flames, I make flames! Destroy!"

The thing was obviously insane.

"Who is your Lady?" asked Sesshomaru.

"My Lady, The Beautiful, The Wonderful, The Magnificent, The Powerful. She will destroy you! Destroy!"

"It doesn't appear that we will learn anything from him, Sire," Shen said.

Inuyasha glanced at him, wondering what exactly Isamu saw in him. He supposed a girl might find Shen good looking, but his personality was about as dry as it could be. Though Inuyasha figured that was probably better than a hormone driven loose cannon.

"Lock him in the dungeons," Sesshomaru ordered, and he began to walk away.

"Sir, where are you going?" Hiro called after him.

"Where do you think?" Sesshomaru snarled.

Inuyasha frowned. He had said he wouldn't get involved, but this was too much. He couldn't leave now. The yokai had practically declared war on him. He couldn't truly think that his people could handle a whole war without him.

Inuyasha moved to block Sesshomaru's path.

"Move," Sesshomaru ordered.

Inuyasha crossed his arms across his chest. "You really are stupid you know that? This thing just as good as declared war on you and you're just going to leave?"

"I have more important things to deal with."

"No, you don't."

Sesshomaru got very still, his eyes narrowed to slits.

"You're a ruler Sesshomaru. You can't go running off anytime you want; even for Sierra."

"She needs me."

"Your people need you more," Inuyasha snapped. "You can send someone else to get Sierra. You can't have someone take your place in a war."

Sesshomaru was silent. Inuyasha could tell that Sesshomaru knew he was right; he just didn't want to admit it. Finally, Sesshomaru nodded. "You are right, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha inwardly smiled. This was a moment he would never forget. The first, and probably only, time that Sesshomaru had said he was right.

* * *

Sierra sat on the banks of a river at the edge of the forest. She had somehow made it through, though Sierra couldn't for the life of her tell anyone how; the night before had been the most miserable in Sierra's life ever. She had stumbled through the forest, wet, cold, and dirty. Sierra was certain she'd tripped over every tree root in her path and stubbed her feet on every rock. As it turned out, her soft slip on shoes that were perfect for the palace grounds were useless when it came to protecting her feet from sharp rocks.

Sierra was soaking her feet in the cool water of the river, trying to figure out her next move. She was exhausted, and wanted to sleep, but didn't think that would be a good idea. "They must know I've left by now. I have to keep moving or someone will catch me."

Of course, she had to figure out where exactly she was going to go. "Let's see, I can't go to the East. They openly hate Westerners, and they wouldn't care if I was simply a commoner, they'd kill me anyways. I can't go South either. The South Lands are allied with the West. I would be caught to quickly. That leaves the North. I guess it's the best choice, since the North and West pretty much just leave each other alone."

Sierra was pleased with her choice, and pulled a bit of bread out of her bag for breakfast. She was glad that, for whatever reason, her bag had been made water proof. Sierra finished her bread quickly and stuck her discarded shoes back into her bag. Then she pulled a compass out that she had taken from the library. Studying it, Sierra saw that for now she could follow the river north.

"It would probably be best if I walked in the water. That way they should have a harder time trying to find my scent. And it will help me stay awake."

So Sierra began to walk, and despite aching muscles and a general weariness, Sierra found that she was enjoying herself. It amazed her to see a view so different from what she was used to. The rolling hills dotted with trees and sprinkled with wildflowers captivated her.

"I could get used to this," Sierra said with a smile.

"Well, well, what 'ave we here?"

Sierra whirled around at the sound of a man's voice. Unfortunately, she moved to fast in the water and fell over. She wasn't seriously hurt, but it gave the man plenty of opportunity to tie her up. Which he promptly did.

When Sierra managed to blink the water out of her eyes, she saw a big, heavily overweight man leering down at her.

"Boss is gonna love you, wench."

Before Sierra could shout, the man shoved a dirty rag in her mouth as a gag. Then he tossed Sierra and her bag over his shoulder and began to walk away.

Sierra kicked and squirmed, trying to get out of the guy's hold.

"Quite yer squirmin' or I'm gonna make you cry."

As threats go, it was pretty pathetic. However, it was the fist time Sierra had ever been threatened. That combined with her situation frightened her into obedience.

The bandit carried Sierra like that for what seemed like hours, but was probably only twenty or so minutes. All too soon, Sierra could hear the voices of his companions.

"What 'ave you got there Dai?" asked one man, whom Sierra could not see.

"I got a gift for boss. Where is he?"

"In his tent."

"You sure she ain't for us? That's the nicest backside I seen in months."

Sierra's face burned with rage and shame at the man's words. If only she could get a hold of her daggers, she'd teach that man a thing or two about manners. Or better yet, Sierra wished her Father was there. At this point in time, Sierra didn't care that it would mean she'd get dragged home. Sierra was certain he'd kill every one of these sick bandits.

"Keep away," Dai ordered. "The wench is for the boss."

He carried her towards what Sierra thought might be the back of the camp. Se wasn't sure thanks to her rather awkward position.

"Boss?" Dai called out. "I got sumpin' for you."

There was a rustle of cloth, and Sierra heard a new voice speak. "What might this be?"

Dai dumped Sierra off his shoulder, and she landed on the ground on her rear roughly. She looked up to see a tall man standing over her, looking down with a smirk. He was tall, though not as tall as most yokai, and muscular. His hair was black and fell midway down his back. His face was well sculpted. His eyes were a dark brown, almost black, and had a definite cruel light in them. They wandered over Sierra's body in a way that made her feel as though she was naked.

Sierra decided that she preferred being tossed over Dai's arm than to sitting here enduring this man's predatory stare.

"Did I do good, Boss Kane Sir?" asked Dai.

Kane's smile stretched to show a flash of white teeth. "You did very good Dai. I think I'm going to like this wench."

* * *

Yuki leaned back in the chair she liked to think of as her thrown. It was a big chair, carved from wood with intricate designs, and softened with cushions and silk blankets. She'd taken it from a noble man who had no longer required a chair. No, he'd only needed a hole.

"You did a good job Kovu," Yuki said to the kneeling man. "That worked marvels. I ought to thank Inuyasha too, when I see him. I really didn't want Sesshomaru to go after Sierra."

She lifted a glass of blood red wine to her lips and took a sip. She loved the taste of wine, but she was careful never to drink enough to get drunk. She would only do that after Sesshomaru was dead.

"Now I need to think about the next faze. Sesshomaru has received my warning, so I need to decide what village or city I want to hit first."

Yuki looked thoughtful. "Why not a border town? In fact, I think I know just the one. Usually it's only seen as a part of the West on maps, not in actuality, but that's good enough for me." Yuki smiled. "Besides, I need to thank Inuyasha somehow do I not?"

Yuki took another sip of her wine. "Kovu, go get Eriko. I want her to lead this attack."

Kovu knelt until his forehead touched the stone floor. "To hear is to obey." Then he stood, keeping his head down, and left to do Yuki's bidding.

Yuki took a third sip of her wine. It was good to be in control.

* * *

And that's all folks! At least for now. Review!


	15. Chapter 15

And here it is. Chapter 15. This chapter makes me feel very guilty. You'll understand I think after you read it. Please enjoy, and don't get to mad at me for the evil thing I let happen in this chapter.

**Elelctromagnetic Powers Rule: **Ohh, Static Shock! I used to love that show! I haven't seen it in forever though. I'm not sure they play it TV any more...Which is sad, 'cause that was a good show.

As usual, I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Sierra stood in the middle of Kane's tent where he'd tossed her. Kane stood about a foot away from her, examining Sierra's daggers. The first thing he'd done after getting her in the tent was to disarm her.

"Not bad," he said. "I think I'll keep these."

Sierra glared as Kane tucked the daggers into his belt. Her glare was somewhat softened by fear though when Kane turned his dark eyes on her.

"Now, as for you. I suppose I need to let you know the number one rule. You will always obey me. Understand?"

Her mouth to dry for words, Sierra nodded.

"Good girl. Hm, I wonder what I should call you." He studied her, and then grinned. "I know what I'll call you. I'm going to call you Bunny." He twinned a strand of her white hair around his finger. "You remind me of a frightened little rabbit standing there."  
Sierra certainly felt like a frightened rabbit.

Kane's eyes slid down her body once more taking in her dirty training outfit. "I have to say Bunny I do think you'd look good in just about anything. However, I prefer my women to be dressed like women."

He moved away from Sierra and opened a box. Out of it he pulled a kimono. It was pretty, but no where near as fine as the ones Sierra usually wore. He gave it to Sierra and said, "Now, I have some business to take care of. When I come back I expect to find you cleaned up and wearing this kimono. And don't even think about running away. If you do, I will be forced to whip you, and I know you don't want that."

Sierra shook her head, still too frightened to speak.

Kane patted the top of her head. "Good girl." Then he left the tent.

When Kane was no longer present, Sierra felt some of her courage returning, along with her anger. She had to figure out a way to escape this man, and quickly.

First things first, she had to keep herself in one piece while in captivity. Sierra looked around and found a bucket of water and cloth with which to wash herself off. She couldn't find soap anywhere, so she had to settle for wiping the sweat and grime off with only the water. Then she slipped on the kimono that Kane had provided for her.

That done, Sierra sat down in one of the relatively clear spots in the tent. Sierra went over what she knew about bandits. It wasn't much. The books she read tended to describe two different types of bandits. One type had an honor code, and wouldn't commit certain crimes, such as killing helpless women or children. Sierra was fairly certain that Kane didn't fall into that category.

The other kind was purely evil, willing to go to any length, no matter how horrid, to get what they wanted. They didn't care who they hurt, so long as they were happy. Sierra felt Kane belonged to this group of bandits, or a similar one.

"I'm in big trouble this time," Sierra whispered to herself.

* * *

Miroku stood by the river enjoying a quiet moment. He was actually supposed to be gathering firewood for Sango, but Miroku was feeling rather lazy today. He would probably regret it later, but this moment of peace was too nice to give up.

"Inuyasha and Kagome will return soon," he murmured to himself. It would be nice to have them back. Miroku knew his eldest son was also looking forward to their return, or more specifically, Ran's return. Masashi had had a thing for Ran for a while now, but Ran remained utterly oblivious.

Miroku was snapped out of his reverie by dark clouds suddenly amassed on the horizon. Miroku studied them with a frown. There had been no hint of a storm today. His eyes widened with shock as he realized that they were not clouds at all, but a mass of yokai.

Miroku turned and ran. He had to get back to Sango and let her know. Running quickly, he made it to his home and burst inside. "Sango! It's and emergency!"

Sango stood from the pot where she'd been cooking lunch. "What happened?"

"Yokai. Hundreds of them. They're on their way here, to attack."

Sango dropped the ladle she's been using to stir the food with and went to her room to change into her slayer uniform.

Miroku looked at his sons, all six of whom were luckily at home at that moment. "You all know what to do. I'm going to get the villagers ready."

The boys nodded and rushed off. Miroku ran out on the streets and called out to the villagers. "Attack! We are under attack! Quickly, to your stations!"

Miroku watched for a minute as villagers ran around to make sure they were going to their proper places. They were. The women and children were going to the center of town and the men were gathering weapons and moving to the side of town where the yokai were rapidly coming from.

Sango appeared beside him suddenly. "Are you ready Miroku?"

Miroku nodded. "Ready."

Sango and Miroku made their way to the head of the villagers. As they moved to the front, Miroku found himself pondering one thing. Why? Why were the yokai attacking them?

Miroku was left no time to ponder as the first wave of yokai attacked. He had to concentrate then on staying alive and killing as many yokai as possible. They weren't very strong, he discovered. But there were a lot of them. Hundreds in fact. Miroku didn't know how long the villagers would be able to hold out against them, especially with Inuyasha and Kagome gone.

* * *

Eriko balanced on a tree limb as she watched the battle. She thought that this village wouldn't be too hard to take. "They won't last more than an hour," she said with a sigh.

Scanning to see where the best action was, she caught sight of a monk and a slayer fighting back to back. "Ah, that will be Miroku and Sango. Lady Yuki said they would be my greatest challenge in this village."

Eriko tipped her head to the side, a grin playing on her childlike face. "They do seem to be giving the yokais a run for their money. Perhaps I should help out."

Eriko jumped going from the tree to a roof top. "Hello!" she called out to the couple.

They barely spared her a glance before turning their attention back to the fight.

"Is this your doing?" asked the monk as he killed another of Lady Yuki's minions.

"My doing? Oh, goodness, no! I just work for My Lady. She's the one who ordered me to attack you village."

The slayer threw her boomerang tearing several poor yokai in half. Eriko winced. That looked painful. "Why?" shouted the slayer.

Eriko shrugged. "Oh, My Lady has her reasons. I can assure you, it's nothing personal. I think she's planning to take out the whole of the Western Lands."

"We aren't a part of the West!" shouted Miroku as he dodged an attack.

"Actually, you are. Only on the maps mind you, but you are a part of the West." Eriko frowned. Even with her distracting the two with conversation the yokai had been unable to land one hit. It looked like she was actually going to have to fight these two.

Eriko raised her eyes to the sky. Her normally blue eyes turned red, and dark clouds began to amass. The wind gained ferocity, and lightning flashed in the sky. Then it began to rain. It poured down in sheets, and Eriko smiled. The rain would hamper the yokai somewhat, but it would hamper the humans much more.

Suddenly Eriko was forced to jump in order to doge an arrow that had been sent her way. She looked around, furious, for the culprit. It was a young man, no more than seventeen, already knocking another arrow to his bow.

"You dare to attack me!" she shrieked. "Kill him!" she ordered.

Ten different yokai turned and focused on the bowman. Eriko smiled. There was no way he could fend off all of them with just a box and an arrow.

The boy shot off his arrow slaying one of the yokai. Then he pulled out sutras and threw them into the remaining crowd of yokai, slaying several that way.

Eriko's eyes widened in surprise. "Spiritual powers? Could it be…?" She looked back at Miroku and Sango, and sure enough, they were frantically trying to make their way to the boy.

Eriko giggled. "Oh, he's their son. Well, I really will have to kill him now."

The last three yokai were about to close in on the boy when Sango's boomerang sliced them into pieces. Before Sango could catch her weapon, a yokai flew by from the back and bit off a chunk of her side.

Eriko giggled again as Sango fell to the ground with a pained cry. "Sango!" shouted Miroku, and he dashed through the thin layer of yokai separating them in order to protect her.

"Such bad parents," she said with a sigh. "They forgot all about their son."

Eriko jumped off the roof top and landed a few feet from the boy. Eriko held up the hem of her skirt primly, not wanting to get mud on it.

The boy let off another arrow at her, which Eriko simply dodged. She waved her hand and a bolt of lightning fell from the sky and hit the ground in front of him. The boy flew back and landed heavily on the ground.

"Ryou!"

Eriko ignored the monk's desperate shout and walked towards the boy who was struggling to get up. She pulled out a small knife as she drew closer to him. With an imperious wave she motioned another yokai to knock the boy back to the ground.

Eriko stood over him now, smiling. The boy glared back up at her defiantly. He knew he was about to die, but there was no fear in his eyes. This boy could have made a great warrior if he lived. But Eriko wasn't going to give him that chance.

"Any last words?" she asked sweetly.

"Go to He…"

His words were cut off when Eriko sliced his throat. "You should never say naughty words," she chided him as the light flickered out of his brown eyes.

"Ryou!"

Eriko turned as she heard the shout and saw the monk and surprisingly the slayer were both fighting to make their way towards her. Eriko studied their faces and saw a mix of rage and grief in their eyes. Eyes that promised her own death. Eriko just laughed. She knew they would never reach her.

She raised her hands to the sky and bolts of lightning fell causing the area to glow with a strange light. When the lightning stopped, not one human was standing.

Eriko smiled down at the limp forms of the monk and the slayer. "Put all of the living humans in the huts as our prisoners," she ordered the remaining yokai. "Once you've done that you can eat all the dead ones."

The yokai army roared happily, and set about doing what Eriko had ordered.

* * *

Inutaisho stood by the servants' entrance and glanced around. The task had fallen to him, Rai and Yumi to find Sierra and bring her back. Already it didn't seem as though it would be easy. Thanks to the rain and then the battle they had absolutely no trail to follow. The best he could do was guess where Sierra had been planning to go.

"No wall surrounds the forest," Inutaisho said thinking out loud. "If she left by this exit she was most likely heading to the outside of the forest. That's where we will go first."

The other two nodded and followed as they started to move through the forest. They said nothing, knowing that Inutaisho wanted to be left to his own thoughts.

His thoughts were of course consumed with Sierra. He didn't understand her reasons for running away anymore than the rest of her family did, and that's what he wanted to know the most. Why? Why had she run away?

It just didn't make any sense at all to Inutaisho. He felt confused, hurt and angry. He felt like shaking Sierra and asking how she could be so stupid and cruel enough to do this.

It took two hours for them to make it outside the forest. By that time the sun was sinking. Inutaisho walked towards the river and glanced around. He didn't see any sign of Sierra's presence, nor could he pick up her scent.

"She probably didn't exit the forest at this spot," Rai said. "It was storming last night after all. She is probably either farther down river or up river."

Inutaisho nodded. "We'll search down river towards the South first. If we don't see a sign of her within a day or so, we'll go up river."

The three yokai started off, unaware that they were moving farther away from where Sierra really was.

* * *

Sesshomaru walked to his room wearily. He and his generals had spent all afternoon planning a defense. Their plans were hampered by their lack of knowledge. They didn't know who was attacking them, nor did they have any idea where this person would strike next.

The best idea they had been able to come up with was to send out patrols through the land in order to try and guard everywhere. Sesshomaru felt very dissatisfied with this plan. He preferred to know who and where his enemy was so he could strike at them. Sesshomaru hated fighting blindly.

Sesshomaru entered his room and saw Lilianna sitting in a chair staring out onto the balcony. Sesshomaru's frown deepened. Lilianna had done little but sit and weep since she had found out about Sierra. She wasn't weeping now, but staring blankly.

Sesshomaru came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She leaned into his embrace.

"I want her back," she whispered pitifully.

"So do I," Sesshomaru responded.

Lilianna turned and clung to Sesshomaru. "Why did she run away?"

_That's it. That's my world. I'm sick to death of it._

"I don't know."

"Does she hate us, Sesshomaru?"

_I'm sick to death of it._

"I don't know."

* * *

And there you have it. Now you know why I felt so guilty when I posted this. I killed off one of Miroku and Sango's boys. Now I am more thankful than ever that they can't come out of this story, 'cause if they could those two would kill me so fast, it wouldn't be funny. Well, it wouldn't be funny if they killed me slowly either. And I will understand if you flame me for doing such a thing to them. I'll probably just delete the flame, but I will understand.

Anywho, review please!


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry that it took so long for me to get it out. But, to make up for the long wait, I will let you know that this is my longest chapter yet at over 6,000 words long. I hope you all enjoy.

I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

"No, no, and bloody well no! We're going over this bloody part until you bloody well get it right!" Richard waved his arms for emphasis as he yelled at the young actress.

She glared and snapped right back at him. "I did the part perfectly. What more can I do?"

"You bloody well didn't do it right, Ai. You're supposed to bloody well be frightened, not angry!"

"Well, maybe I wouldn't be angry if you wouldn't yell at me!" Ai yelled.

Sakura sighed as she watched the scene between her husband and the girl she thought of like a daughter. It was amazing that two people who weren't even from the same country could be so alike in temperament.

They certainly didn't look alike. Richard was a red bearded bear of a man, who proudly and often told of his heritage as being one fourth English, one fourth Scottish, and one half Irish. Not that it made a difference to most people he met, as few actually knew of those particular countries in these parts.

Ai was a beauty with the traditional long black hair, tiny features, and deep brown eyes. Despite the fact that the girl only came up to Richard's stomach and her waist was only as thick as one of Richard's burly muscle bound arms, she held a temper in her small frame that easily matched the hot headed European giant's.

She stepped in before either could have the chance to say something they would latter regret. "Richard, dear, why don't we take a break so you can both have a chance to cool off? We are never going to get anywhere if you two keep fighting like this."

Not to mention that the fight was silly anyways. Not that Sakura would tell either of them that. Richard had decided to teach the troupe a play from some European country called Beauty and the Beast. Ai was supposed to play Belle, the lead. They had gotten to the scene where Belle was supposed to trade her freedom for that of her father's, but Richard insisted that Ai was not doing to part right. Sakura thought she was doing fine, but Richard was adamant.

Richard threw down his script. "Fine! We'll bloody well stop this practice. We'll bloody well stop the whole bloody thing! No one is bloody well doing anything right!" Richard stomped off muttering something in English.

Sakura sighed and turned to the assembled people with a smile. "Sorry."

Seth, a dragon yokai who was playing the Beast, shrugged his shoulders. "It isn't a big deal. He'll calm down soon. In the meantime we get a much needed rest."

Tsuyoshi stood from his spot on the ground with a groan. "Tell me about it. My old bones are killing me from sitting on the hard cold ground for hours on end."

Sakura smiled, not taking the old man seriously. After all, it was summer, not to mention he'd only been sitting there fifteen minutes, twenty tops. Oh, and there was the fact that Tsuyoshi was one of the most nimble acrobats Sakura had ever seen, despite his fifty some odd years.

"Sakura," Seth said pulling her out of her thoughts. "You didn't happen to see where Little Blue went did you?"

Sakura frowned as she thought back. "No, Seth, I'm afraid I didn't."

Seth nodded looking slightly annoyed. "I guess I'll have to go look for her. Again."

Sakura chuckled with amusement at Seth's annoyance. Little Blue was the girl Seth had adopted as his daughter. The girl had a great ability to fall into mischief and it constantly wore on Seth.

Sakura turned her attention back to the camp, quickly forgetting about Seth and Little Blue. There was always some sort of work to be done in the camp, and Sakura set out to do it.

* * *

Sierra had thought that the night she'd spent in the forest during the storm to be the worst night of her life. She now realized that she was wrong. Her first night in the bandits' camp definitely made that seem like a walk through her parents' garden.

It had been at least an hour before she had heard Kane return to the camp. From what she could hear of the conversation, it seemed the business he had had to take care of had been hunting.

They had cooked whatever it was that Kane had caught, and the smells had made Sierra realize just how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten a proper meal since that morning when she had stopped at the river.

But Sierra had been forced to wait until after Kane and the other bandits finished eating before Kane came into the tent with food for her.

Kane had sat down in front of her, a cruel smile on his lips. Sierra hadn't noticed the smile at the time; her eyes had been following the food in his hands.

"Are you hungry, Bunny?"

Sierra nodded.

"Say yes Master."

Sierra had been filled with rage. She was the Princess of the Western Lands, and he was demanding she call _him_ Master?

Her anger had been replaced by fear though when she had seen the cruel light in his eyes. He wanted her to disobey him, she had realized. He had wanted an excuse to punish her.

"Yes, Master."

"Good girl, Bunny," he had said, grinning.

Sierra's eyes had burned with tears that she refused to let fall.

Kane held out a piece of the meat for her. Sierra had reached out to take it, but Kane pulled it away.

"No, Bunny. I want you to eat it from my hand."

Sierra remembered how her face had burned. She had wanted to scream and cry and run right back to her parents.

Resolutely, Sierra had shoved those thoughts away. She refused to cry for this horrid man. She had resolved that she would run away, but it wouldn't be back to her parents. She would escape. But until then, she was forced to play by his rules.

Swallowing her pride, she had leaned forward and eaten the food from his hand like he requested. It had taken every ounce of self control she had not to try and slap that arrogant smirk off his face.

She had finished her meal in this manner. When it was over Kane had stood and stripped down to his underclothes. Her face hot with embarrassment, Sierra had looked away from him. Then a new fear had raised its head. Did Kane mean to force her to his bed? She knew from her books that some bandits did that sort of thing. It had never occurred to Sierra that sort of thing could happen to her.

She had literally jumped when Kane had put his arms around her waist. This display of fear had made Kane laugh.

"No need to be so frightened Bunny. I have no intention to bed you tonight." His eyes had begun to wander over her body at that point. "Though it is something we will do soon, I promise you that."

Sierra had wound up sleeping in the same bed with him though. It seemed he had wanted to use Sierra's chest as his pillow. That act had almost made Sierra break her vow not to cry. But at the same time it had strengthened her desire to escape.

Sierra brushed her thoughts of the night before out of her mind. It was over and done with. What she needed to worry about was now.

At the moment she was sitting on Kane's horse. As soon as everyone had eaten breakfast, with the exception of Sierra, Kane had gotten them loaded up and moving. They were heading north, and Sierra wasn't sure if she was happy about that fact or not.

She was trying to keep an eye out for a chance to escape, but seated on the horse in front of Kane, she had of course not gotten a chance.

Sierra stared listlessly at the back of the horse's head. The heat of the sun combined with her hunger had drained Sierra's energy. It was now late afternoon, and Kane had still not seen fit to feed her.

Kane suddenly pulled his horse to a stop. "We will camp here for the night," he called.

Immediately the others began to set up camp. The first thing to get set up was Kane's tent. The moment it was up, Kane shoved her inside and told her to remain there.

Sierra slipped towards the back of the tent. She wondered what chance of success she might have of slipping away while they all set up camp. Not good, she decided. It was still broad daylight, and Sierra would easily be spotted if she tried to leave.

"'Ey, now, what's this?"

Sierra went to the front of the tent when she heard the surprised exclamation.

"Ow! The little monster bit me!"

Sierra looked outside and saw Dai, the bandit who had first caught her, kick at something hidden by bushes.

"Ouch!" Out of the bushes fell a girl. She couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old. She was, Sierra saw, a yokai. A dragon yokai to be precise. She had short curly candy blue hair that perfectly matched the color of her wings, and the scales on her tail. Her eyes were the color of a ripe strawberry, and filled with indignation at her treatment.

"You're going to regret that!" she said bravely.

Dai picked her up by the scruff of her neck and gave her a good shake. "No bitten' or you'll get hurt." Then he carried the girl to Kane who was standing a few feet away with his back to Sierra.

The child stared up at Kane defiantly. "You better let me go, or my Daddy will stomp you!"

Kane laughed cruelly. "Well, this brat has more spirit than I've seen in a while." He raised his arm and Sierra realized he intended to strike the child. Without thinking, Sierra ran forward and rammed Kane in the back as hard as she could.

Now, had Kane been expecting this attack Sierra probably wouldn't have made him move one bit. After all, she was barely over five feet tall, and he was well over six feet. As it was Sierra's shoulder hurt like mad. However, since Kane hadn't been expecting anything, Sierra had managed to knock him to the ground and snag one of her daggers from him in the process.

Moving quickly Sierra slashed Dai's arm to make him let go of the girl. It was only a shallow cut, more of a scratch really, but it was enough to get the desired result. The moment she was free the girl ran and hid behind Sierra.

Unfortunately, by this time Kane was back on his feet. He was glaring at Sierra. "It looks like my little Bunny has claws after all. I'm going to have to fix that."

Knowing if she just stood there that Kane would do something horrible to her, and possibly the child, Sierra lunged with her dagger. Kane caught her wrist and twisted it violently causing Sierra to cry out in pain and drop her dagger. Belatedly she realized that a mere week of training did not make one an expert fighter.

Kane grabbed a fistful of her hair and jerked Sierra's head up so she was staring into his face. "You will never defy me again after I'm through with you."

There was a sudden high pitched shriek. Everyone looked and saw it was the child that was screaming, but none of the bandits were near her.

"Someone shut that brat up!" Kane shouted, even as it came to Sierra why the girl was screaming.

Earlier the girl had mentioned her father. More than likely he wasn't to far off. Since yokai had amazingly sensitive hearing, the girl was screaming in hope that her father would hear and come to her aid. Sierra hoped that he would come soon as well.

Dai walked forward and backhanded the girl, causing her to fall to the ground. Sierra wasn't given a chance to see if the girl was okay before Kane was dragging her off by her hair. He grabbed a piece of rope and tied Sierra's hands in front of her, and then yanked her down so she was lying on her stomach. He secured what was left of the rope to a tent stake so her arms were stretched out over her head now.

Kane walked away from her, and Sierra felt her stomach knot with fear. What was he planning to do with her? A crack of a whip answered her unspoken question.

"Beg me not to whip you, and I might go a bit easier on you," Kane said mockingly.

Sierra had to bite her lip to keep from taking him up on that offer. Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't want to go through this.

All of a sudden, there was a whoosh and then a heavy thud. The bandits began to shout, but since they were all talking at once Sierra didn't know what they were saying. There were more thuds and crashes, and several howls of pain. Sierra wished that Kane hadn't tied her so tightly so she could look and see what was going on.

After what felt like forever, but was probably only a matter of minutes, the noises stopped. She could still hear someone moving around though. "Wh-who's there?" she asked.

Sierra could hear the sound of footsteps as the person circled around so that she could see them. Sierra looked up as soon as they were in her line of sight. It was a male dragon yokai, Sierra saw. He was at least seven feet tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular body. His wings and tail were silver, unlike the girl's, and his eyes a deep midnight blue. His hair was short, though his bangs fell into his eyes, and the color matched that of his wings, and his fangs and claws were quite a bit bigger and more prominent than the child's. Who was, Sierra now realized, nestled unconscious in one of the man's arms.

So this was the girl's father. Somehow Sierra hadn't expected someone quite so young looking. If she had been forced to guess his age, she'd have said he was in his sixties or seventies, though he looked to be in his twenties. But with yokai, appearance was often misleading.

He leaned down and sliced through the ropes binding Sierra's wrists together.

"Thank you," she said as she stood up shakily. She glanced around and wasn't to surprised to see that the bandits were all out for the count. However, her stomach felt a bit queasy when she saw that Dai's head was twisted at an angle it was most certainly not supposed to go. Sierra wondered if the man somehow knew that Dai was the one who had hurt the girl.

"You should go home."

Sierra looked back at the yokai, and bit her lip. Now that she was out of danger, home was the last place she wanted to be. "I can't."

He watched her a moment, then nodded. "Very well, you can come with me then. Sakura will be able to take care of you for now anyways."

Sakura must be his wife. Sierra nodded and smiled gratefully. "Thank you once again." She took a step towards him, and then remembered something. "Oh, my daggers!"

She turned and took a step towards Kane, but then froze. Even while unconscious, the man terrified her.

Sensing her fear, the yokai stepped ahead of her and pulled the daggers out of his belt. "Are these it?" he asked.

Sierra nodded taking them from him and tucking them in her own belt. "Yes, thank you."

A small smile twitched his mouth. "You don't have to keep saying that."

Sierra blushed. "Of course, I'm sorry."

For some reason her apology seemed to amuse him as well. He held out his free arm towards her. "It will be quicker if we fly, and we won't leave a trail for the bandits to follow."

Sierra understood and went to stand next to him. That was when she first realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Most dragon yokai, male or female, didn't bother with shirts. Their wings made them much too inconvenient. When they did wear shirts it was merely a piece of cloth that tied around the neck and waist leaving the back completely bare.

Sierra glanced at the little girl to take her eyes off of the man more than anything else. Yes, the child was wearing a shirt. That meant this man had more of a sense of modesty than most dragon yokai did.

Sierra's attempt to distract herself ended abruptly as she felt him wrap his very strong muscular arm around her waist.

"Hold on to me," he ordered.

Face bright red, Sierra wrapped her arms around the man's neck. Never would Sierra have thought that she would wind up holding on to a complete stranger like this, even if he had just saved her life.

Sierra felt his muscles tense, and then he jumped into the air. Sierra's breath caught in her chest as the ground fell away beneath them. Each flap of his wings lifted them higher and higher, until they were over the tree tops. Then they leveled out and soared away.

Sierra felt a grin pull across her face. After her initial fear, flying was amazing. It excited her in a way that nothing ever had before. She wanted to shout with her joy, but refrained thinking that it was probably best not to startle the man that was keeping her up in the air.

After several minutes of flying they landed in a clearing by a large river. Sierra guessed it was the same river she had been following from the start. Scattered around where several large covered wagons. They were painted with bright colors that couldn't hope to blend in with anything, and various people milled around them. On the side of the biggest and most garishly painted were the words The Wandering Noonvale Troupe.

A woman quickly came towards them when they landed. She was in her late thirties Sierra guessed, and rather plain. Her hair was black with some grey at the temples, and straight, her skin tanned a bit too much, and her mouth was rather to large for her oval face. Then Sierra looked into her eyes. Never before had Sierra seen eyes that were so open, and so full of warmth. They were the sort of eyes that a person knew they could always trust with anything.

"My goodness, what have we here?" she asked.

The man gave Sierra a slight nudge fore ward. "I found Little Blue in the company of bandits. They had also captured this girl."

Instantly the woman's brown eyes filled to the brim with compassion. "You poor dear. Are you all right sweetie?"

Surprised by her instant concern, Sierra nodded. "Yes ma'am, I'm fine."

"No need for the ma'am, dear. My name's Sakura."

Ah, so this was the woman that the man had mentioned earlier. Well, she certainly wasn't his wife. Were she his wife, Sierra doubted she would look that old. Not to mention the fact that Sierra didn't see a mark on the side of her neck like there usually would have been.

"My name is Sierra."

Sakura took her hand and began to lead her to the large wagon. "Well dear, whether or not you think your fine, you need some rest after your ordeal. I'm going to put you in the bed in my wagon and as soon as I've got some dinner ready for you I'll wake you up, all right honey?"

Sierra was beginning to feel overwhelmed by this woman's kindness. "Y-yes, that would be wonderful. Thank you."

Sakura banged on the door that led to the inside of the wagon. "Richard, honey, you need to come out of there."

"I'll bloody well come out when I feel like it!"

Sakura frowned at the door. "You'll quit acting like a child and come out now. We have a guest and I told her she could use our wagon to rest."

The door opened and Sierra saw the biggest human she'd ever seen. He was easily as tall as the yokai who had rescued her, and he was also the hairiest person she had ever met. Every bit of him seemed to be covered in thick curly red hair, from his bushy red beard and bare arms down to his unshod feet. All in all, he looked like a big red bear.

But when Sierra looked into his eyes, they were a clear bright blue that sparkled with laughter. He might seem intimidating at first glance, but Sierra got the feeling that inside he had a soft heart.

"Well if we had a guest why didn't you bloody well say so in the first place? He asked Sakura with an accent that Sierra had never before heard.

"I was hoping you would act more mature than Little Blue," Sakura said with a wry smile.

Then man seemed to ignore that comment and he turned his gaze on Sierra. He smiled grandly at her and gave her a fancy bow. "A pleasure to meet you lass. My name is Richard, after King Richard the Lion Hearted, ruler of England."

Sierra smiled at him. "It is a pleasure to meet you sir. My name is Sierra."

"And to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Go ask Seth," Sakura told him. "Sierra needs to rest now."

Richard held up his hands in surrender. "Of course. I'll just be on my way. Have a good rest lass."

Richard walked away and Sakura led Sierra into the wagon. It was quite a cluttered space with all sorts of odds and ends lying around. The bed Sakura led her to wasn't very wide. Sierra wondered how exactly Richard and Sakura both managed to fit on it. After thinking a moment, she decided she didn't really care to know.

"You can go on and rest here, honey," Sakura told her. "I'll wake you when dinner is ready."

"I am in your debt," Sierra said, tears of gratefulness in her eyes.

Sakura waved a hand. "No need for that. We just help because we want to dear. Now get to bed."

Sierra crawled under the blanket of the bed and was surprised when Sakura tucked the sheets around her. The simple motherly action made her feel a sudden pang for her own Mother, so far away.

Sakura left the wagon, and Sierra was alone in the semidarkness. She closed her eyes feeling completely grateful that she had been found by these wonderful people. With that thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Miroku woke up slowly. The first thing he was aware of was pain. It seemed that every part of his body hurt. He tried to raise his hands to hold his head, but found that his arms were tied up behind him.

That was when his memory returned to him. Miroku looked around and saw that he was in one of the houses with quite a few of the other villagers. Beside him and still unconscious was Sango. Miroku looked at her wound. It had stopped bleeding, but no one had done anything to take care of it. If nothing was done soon, infection would set in.

Miroku searched the faces of the villagers to see who was there. He was slightly relieved to spot his five sons. His heart seemed to break though when he remembered Ryou and what had happened to him. Miroku closed his eyes against the tears that threatened to spill over.

"No," he said. "I won't cry now. There will be time enough for grieving later. Now I need to concentrate on getting out of here."

A noise at the door caught his attention. The door opened and three figures walked in. One he recognized as the yokai girl that had led the attack against his village. She looked like a child, not more than ten or eleven. Her sweet face didn't show any of the evil that Miroku knew lurked inside her heart.

The second figure was obviously in charge. It was a human woman. She moved with an easy grace and the air of one who was used to being obey. Her brown eyes scanned the area with disdain.

The third figure was a man. He was taller than both of the women, but he stayed behind them, and kept his head down so Miroku couldn't see his face. His hair was silver, save the bangs that covered his face, those were black. Most surprised were the silver and black tipped dog ears resting on the top of his head. This man was a hanyou.

"So these are the only survivors, Eriko?" It was the human woman who had spoken.

Miroku's eyes widened. This was it? He had counted maybe thirty people, and most were the young or the elderly.

The girl gave a quick curtsy. "Yes, Lady Yuki. I know you wanted more slaves left alive, but I'm afraid I got a bit carried away."

Miroku switched his gaze to the girl. So she was Eriko, and the woman was Yuki.

Yuki pursed her lips. "Yes, you did. Most of these won't do me any good." Her eyes fell on Miroku. "My, my, you're awake are you?"

Eriko looked over at him. "Ah, him. That's the monk you told me about."

Yuki nodded. "So you're the one whose friends with Inuyasha."

"How do you know Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

Yuki shrugged carelessly. "I don't. We've never actually met." She smiled bitterly. "No, I'm better acquainted with his brother, Sesshomaru."

"Why did you attack our village?"

"To get at Sesshomaru, and to thank Inuyasha for a favor he did me. You see monk, I plan to destroy the entire West. Your village is a part of the West, if in name only. So I struck here first. It's nothing personal."

Nothing personal. His son was dead, and it was nothing personal. Miroku felt white hot rage fill him.

"You won't…get away with this."

Miroku turned and saw to his surprise that Sango was awake. She had managed to sit up, and was glaring angrily at Yuki.

Yuki tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "You remind me of someone. Now who is it?"

Sango said nothing, but glared defiance at her.

"Now I remember. That's the same look Lilianna gave me when I trapped her." With a sudden vicious movement Yuki backhanded Sango knocking her to the ground.

Miroku struggled to his feet in order to protect Sango, but found himself yanked back from the two by the hanyou.

Sango rolled to her knees, still sending Yuki that defiant look.

"I hate that face." She kicked Sango in her wounded side.

Sango doubled over in pain as Miroku struggled to get free from the hanyou's iron grip.

"You two are still much too defiant. When Eriko told me she had killed one you your sons I had thought you'd be more complacent. I guess you just need another lesson."

She turned to Eriko. "Is the army still hungry?"

Eriko laughed. "Why yes, Lady Yuki. The army is always hungry."

"In that case, I want you to feed all of the elderly left to them. They wouldn't be of any use to me anyways."

"No!" Miroku cried redoubling his efforts to get away from the hanyou.

"You can't do this!" Sango said.

Yuki laughed as Eriko started dragging the people out of the hut. "That is where you're wrong. I can do anything I please." She walked out of the hut, now ignoring them. The hanyou tossed Miroku to the ground.

"Kovu, help Eriko get the food out of here won't you?"

The hanyou bowed. "To hear is to obey." He picked up two people and walked out the door.

Miroku struggled into a sitting position, horrified by the cries he was hearing from outside the hut.

"Dad."

Miroku looked and saw his youngest son, Kannon, was awake and pale faced. "Don't listen," Miroku told him, knowing it was useless. It was impossible not to listen to the sounds outside.

Now others were beginning to wake up. "What's going on?" a woman asked, frightened by the sounds.

"Your old are being fed to our army," Eriko answered from the doorway. She pointed at Miroku and Sango. "Because of them. They made Lady Yuki angry, and this is the punishment."

Eriko gathered up another elderly person, and Kovu followed suite as well. They were taken out midst the desperate pleading cries of the villagers.

Miroku closed his eyes and fought despair. How were they supposed to get out of this?

* * *

Shippo walked through the forest with a spring in his step. It felt like it had been forever since he had visited with his friends. He was always so busy with his training in the South, and it was hard to get away.

Shippo grinned. "This is going to be a great surprise for them. They weren't expecting me for another month!"

Shippo stepped into a clearing. It was the one with that old well Kagome used to use to go to her time. Shippo stopped and looked around. He had made so many memories in this clearing.

He ran a hand over the worn and rotting wood of the well. He remembered the day it had stopped working for Kagome. She had been devastated. Kagome hadn't stopped crying all that day. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay with them, Shippo had eventually realized. She had been so heart broken to know that she would probably never see her family again.

"But," Shippo said, "she might see them again. Kagome will live as long as Inuyasha does, and he could live for a long time. After all, no one actually knows how long a yokai or hanyou can live, since no one's heard of one that died of old age. Usually we're killed in battle."

Shippo turned to the village again just as the wind changed direction. His eyes widened. The wind carried the scent of blood, death, and many yokai to him. What had happened at the village?

Shippo moved fore ward quickly and silently. He got to the edge of the forest and looked out over the village. He was horrified by the destruction he saw. The fields were destroyed, few huts remained standing, and there were yokai everywhere.

Shippo concentrated a moment, and finally he sensed humans in one of the remaining huts. "Okay, I've got to get in there."

Shippo clapped his hands together and a cloud of smoke surrounded him. When it disappeared Shippo looked much like one of the low class yokai he had seen wandering around.

He shuffled into the camp and walked a weaving path through the masses that led him to the hut. Luckily there were so many yokai, they didn't notice the presence of on more. Finally Shippo made it to the hut and slipped inside. He was greeted by maybe twenty humans.

He glanced around and was relieved to see Miroku and Sango. "Miroku, it's me."

The monk's eyes grew big. "Shippo?"

Shippo nodded and crouched in front of him. "What happened here?"

"We were attacked by an army of yokai. It is led by a human woman named Yuki. She says she wants to destroy the whole West. Shippo, you have to go get Inuyasha. I think he is still at Sesshomaru's palace. You have to get help!"

Shippo nodded. "All right, but I'm taking you and Sango with me."

"No," Sango said. For the first time Shippo saw the wound on her side. "I would only slow you down, and if Miroku disappeared they would notice to quickly."

Miroku nodded. "She's right. You need to take someone who could actually help you. Take Masashi and Kenji."

Shippo glanced at Miroku's two oldest sons. He hated to leave Miroku and Sango, but he knew they were speaking the truth. "Okay, I'll take them."

Shippo quickly cut through the boy's bonds and when they stood he took hold of their wrists. When he did they were surrounded by smoke and once the smoke cleared they too looked like low level yokai.

"We'll be back as soon as possible."

"Good luck," Miroku said with a grim smile.

The three left the hut and meandered around the camp. They went past several yokai that were gnawing on human bones, and Shippo felt Masashi and Kenji tense. He squeezed their wrists to warn them not to do anything. After what felt like years they made it out of the camp. Shippo kept them going until they made it to the clearing with the well. Only then did he drop the illusions.

"It'll be fastest if we fly," Shippo told them. He transformed into the pink ball that he had often used to transport Kagome in the past. "Climb on," he told them. They did and Shippo took off as fast as he could go due west.

* * *

Inutaisho stopped as the sun began to set in the west. He had traveled south all day and found no sign of Sierra. "She must have come out farther up north," he said, frustration underlying his words.

"Then we will go back," Rai said calmly.

Inutaisho nodded shortly. They had wasted a whole day going the wrong way.

"Help!"

Inutaisho stopped short. "What was that?"

"Probably just some human," Yumi said. "We should keep going."

Inutaisho didn't move, but looked back. The cry had come from further south down the river.

"Help me!"

Inutaisho heaved a sigh of frustration. He couldn't ignore this plea without being tortured by his conscious. "Let's go," he said, running towards the voice.

"Inutaisho!"

He ignored them. He knew they would follow.

Moments later Inutaisho found the source of the yells, a young human girl. She was running away from two yokai. No doubt they planned for the girl to be their dinner. Quick as a flash Inutaisho uncurled his whip. With a flick of his wrist both yokai were dead.

The girl kept running until she rammed into Inutaisho, and then she latched onto him.

"Are you all right?" Inutaisho asked her.

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "Please, sir, please save my village!"

Inutaisho felt torn for a moment. Saving the girl's village would take time that he didn't have. But as he stared down at her tear streaked face Inutaisho found he couldn't tell the girl no.

"We'll help you."

"We will?"

Inutaisho sent Yumi a glare. "Yes, we will."

Yumi held up her hands in surrender. "It's your choice. I was just thinking that we already had a mission."

Inutaisho knew that. But he also knew he couldn't just leave this girl.

"Rai, you will stay here and keep the girl safe. Yumi, you come with me."

Inutaisho pushed to girl towards Rai. "If we aren't back by midnight, we need your help."

Rai nodded. "Understood."

"Which way is your village?"

The girl pointed down river. Inutaisho and Yumi took off. In about five minutes they had found the village. It was being terrorized by about fifteen yokai. Inutaisho uncurled his whip and Yumi summoned her spear. Between the two of them they made quick work of the yokai.

When it was over, a man Inutaisho assumed was the elder of the village came forward. "Thank you so much for saving us. Will you stay and let us attempt to thank you properly?"

Inutaisho shook his head. "No, we can't. We are in a hurry I'm afraid." He started to walk away, but stopped when he caught a whiff of a scent that was close to the little girl's. He looked and saw a woman kneeling over an unconscious man. Most likely they were the girl's parents.

"Woman," Inutaisho said. She looked up at him. "Your daughter is upriver a ways with my companion. She is unharmed."

He saw relief replace the despair in her eyes. Thank you, oh thank you so much!"

Inutaisho nodded, and then dashed away. Oddly enough, her thanks warmed him inside.

He got back to Rai and the girl ran up to him. "Is everyone okay?"

"Your village is safe," Inutaisho told her.

A big smile spread across her face and she hugged him. "Thank you! Thank you so much."

A smile flitted across Inutaisho's face. "Your welcome. Now go home."

The girl ran off in the direction of her village.

"Well that was a complete waste of time," Yumi said in disgust.

Inutaisho glanced at her. Why had Shen picked her to go with them? Inutaisho felt nothing but dislike for Yumi. As far as he was concerned she was the sort of person that gave yokai their vicious blood thirsty reputation. A reputation that Inutaisho didn't particularly care for.

"I am the leader of this mission Yumi, not you. I will decide what is or is not a waste of time."

He saw Yumi's eyes flash angrily. "Of course. I didn't mean to question you."

Inutaisho started north. It was time to get back to his search for Sierra.

* * *

Jeez, this was a hard chapter to write. I especialy felt bad after writing about the whole elderly people getting eaten by yokai. I hadn't planned for that, by the way. It just sort of happened. But it made me feel really guilty.

Anyways, that was that. Let me know what you all think okay?

In other words, REVIEW! Please.


	17. Chapter 17

I tried really really hard to get this up before Thanksgiving. I had just finished typing it up Tuesday night, right before we had to leave to go to my grandparent's house, but I didn't have time to post it. I thought about taking my computer, but I decided a nine hour car trip and one house filled with forty plus people could be bad for its health. So, yeah. It's late.

Sorry.

I don't own Inuyasha, nor do I own "The Ballad of the Brainy Duck."

* * *

Sierra blinked her eyes and stared at the canvas covered roof of the wagon. For a moment she didn't know what had woken her from her sleep until she heard the soft knocking on the door repeat. Sierra got out of the bed and opened to door and saw Sakura standing outside it.

Sakura smiled up at her. "Did you have a good rest, sweetheart?"

Sierra smiled back. "Oh, yes, thank you."

"Dinner is ready now dear if you're hungry."

The mention of food made Sierra recall that she hadn't eaten since the night before. "Oh yes, very much so."

"Good," Sakura said. "Follow me and I'll take you to the food."

Sakura started off with Sierra following close behind her. Sakura led her to the center of the camp where quite a few people stood or sat around a large fire and several pots. Sakura wove through the crowd and filled a bowl with food for Sierra.

"Thank you," Sierra said as Sakura handed it to her.

Just as she took her first bite Sierra felt something knock into her back and wrap its arms around her waist. She looked down to see the dragon yokai girl from earlier was hugging her tightly. The girl looked up at her with an adorable grin. "Thank you for helping me earlier!"

Sierra smiled down at her. "You're welcome, though I can't say I did very much for you."

"My Daddy says that it's always the thought that counts."

Sierra wasn't so sure that would apply to life and death situations. After all, even if you meant to save someone, if you failed your intentions really didn't change anything. But she didn't say any of that to the girl.

Instead she said, "Well, I guess your Daddy knows what he's talking about."

The girl grinned. "Yes, Daddy always does. At least, that's what he says."

Sierra laughed at that.

"All right, Little Blue, you've said thanks now you need to go eat your food and let Sierra eat hers," Sakura said.

The girl, Little Blue, nodded. "Yes, Nana Sakura." Then she dashed off to where her father was.

"Nana?" Sierra asked.

Sakura smiled. "Little Blue likes to adopt people as her family. I'm Nana and she calls Richard Papa. Others in are group are referred to as aunt and uncle. Since she feels like you saved her I wouldn't be surprised if she adopted you as a family member as well."

Sierra smiled. "She's a sweet girl. Though I can't help but wonder where her name came from."

"Well," said Sakura, "dragon yokai name themselves as soon as they learn how to talk, the parents don't name them. Apparently Seth would call her 'little one' before she named herself, so she picked an adaptation of that."

Sierra nodded. She'd forgotten that dragon yokai did that as she had never met one while living at the palace. Of course she had learned about their customs, Sierra had been taught about all of the different yokai customs, but that one had slipped from her mind. Now though she recalled that when dragon yokai became adults they would pick a second name to use instead of their childhood name.

Weaving through the crowd, Sakura led Sierra to where Richard was sitting with several other people. The two sat down within the ring. Glancing around, Sierra saw Little Blue sitting in her father's lap. Seth, she thought they had called him.

"Everyone," Sakura said, "this is Sierra. Sierra, this is Ai, Tsuyoshi, Agol, and of course you've already met my husband and Seth."

Sierra smiled at those three she had just been introduced to. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

She received a corresponding smile from Ai. "Likewise."

The young man Agol nodded towards her with a friendly grin. "Welcome to the group."

Tsuyoshi sent her a disapproving look. "Huh. She'll be another drama queen like Ai, I'll warrant."

"Hey," said Ai sounding offended.

Richard slapped Tsuyoshi on the back, almost knocking the old man over. "Can't you be nice at least one bloody time?"

Tsuyoshi sent Richard a look. "Humph. I thought I was being nice. You just can't please people now days"

Little Blue moved from her seat in Seth's lap to where Sierra was sitting. "Don't worry about Tsuyoshi," she said in a stage whisper. "He's just a grumpy old codger, my Daddy says so."

Everyone laughed at that, and Sierra noticed that Tsuyoshi didn't seem all that unhappy with what Little Blue had said. She supposed it was probably just the act he put on.

"So, Sierra," Ai said. "Where exactly are you from?"

Sierra took a bight of her food to buy herself some time before she had to answer. She should have realized that they'd ask.

"Here and there," she said after she swallowed. She decided that the answer didn't sound as good out loud as it had when she'd read it in that book. But hopefully it would get her point across. She guessed by the looks in their eyes that it probably had.

Richard chuckled. "Sounds about like the rest of us."

"I'm curious," said Sierra deciding to change the topic. "What is it exactly you all do? I've never seen a group like this."

"We are wandering entertainers," Richard said with pride. "We can do just about anything you'd like."

"We put on shows for anyone who cares to watch," Agol said.

"And who bloody well wouldn't want to watch us?" asked Richard. "We are the best group of traveling entertainers in Japan."

"We're the only group of traveling entertainers in Japan," Tsuyoshi said.

This gained laughs from everyone, save Richard, who sent Tsuyoshi an indignant glare.

"Hey, Richard!" someone outside of the little group called. "Why don't you pull out your fiddle and plays some songs for us?"

Richard shoved the last of his food in his mouth and swallowed. "Certainly! Anything to make an audience happy."

He walked away to his wagon, and Sierra glanced at Sakura. "What's a fiddle?" she asked, carefully pronouncing the strange word.

"It's a musical instrument," Sakura answered. "It's quite nice, and can make some very sweet sounding music. Just wait and you'll see dear."

So Sierra watched with interest as Richard came back carrying a strange looking case. He opened it up and pulled out a wooden instrument. The main body reminded Sierra of a pear, though that shape wasn't quite right. It also had a long arm and strings going from to bottom.

"Any requests?" he asked.

"The Ballad of the Brainy Duck!" Little Blue called out cheerfully.

"Very well, the Ballad of the Brainy Duck it is," Richard said.

Richard set the instrument on his shoulder and laid a thin stringed stick across it, and began to play a lively tune. His deep voice rang out in a pleasing bass tone.

"Some said his head was full of stones,

Some said 'twas full of muck,

But I tell you, that wasn't true,

Oh Dingle was a brainy duck!

He knew history and geography,

Read books from front to back,

But the poor little fellow with webs so yellow

All he could say was Quack!

Oh, geese go honk and sparrows tweet,

I suppose jackdaws shout Jack,

But the cleverest bird you've ever heard,

Was the duck who just went Quack!

One day there came a cunning fox,

Who said 'I'm Doctor Black,'

And all the ducks believed he was,

'Til Dingle called him Quack!

Oh Quack Quack Quack! Quack Quack Quack!

Brave Dingle Quacked and raved,

So the ducks jumped Quackly in the pond,

And from that fox were saved.

If you ever meet dear Dingle,

Good manners he won't lack,

Just shake his wing, you'll hear him sing,

Quack Quack Quack Quack Quack!"

Sierra was hit with a fit of giggles at the silly song. It was cute, and the fiddle was an amazing sounding instrument in her opinion. Little Blue apparently loved the song, and was hopping up and down with glee, clapping her hands.

"Again, again!" Little Blue said.

"Little Blue," Seth said. "Let Richard sing other songs."

Little Blue looked disappointed, but reluctantly nodded her head. "Yes, sir."

Other people called for their favorite songs and Richard complied with all of them. Sierra's foot was kept tapping in time with the lively tunes. Some people even began dancing, and Sierra laughed and clapped in time with the music along with the other people who stayed on the sidelines.

All too soon, or so it seemed to Sierra, Richard was putting away his fiddle. "Time to turn in," Richard called, "or the lot of you won't be good for a bloody thing tomorrow."

Slowly, the people moved away to various wagons. Sierra stood where she was, wondering where she was supposed to sleep.

Little Blue took her hand. "Come on, Sierra. You can stay with me an' Daddy."

Sierra found herself blushing. "Ah, no thank you Little Blue, I don't think that will work.

"Why not?"

Seth scooped the girl up in his arms. "Because she isn't your mommy, that's why."

Little Blue's face took on a thoughtful look. "So if she were my mommy she could stay with us?"

Seth began to look cautious. "Yes, if she were your mommy," he said, stressing the word if for the little girl.

Little Blue turned back to Sierra, a rather impish smile on her face. "G'night, Sierra!"

"Goodnight," she said as Seth began to walk of with Little Blue.

_Why do I suddenly feel very nervous?_

Ai linked her arm with Sierra's. "Don't worry, you can stay with me in my wagon. We're about the same size, so you can borrow some of my things until the Seamstresses get you some clothes made."

"Thank you," Sierra said.

Everyone called their goodnights, and Ai led Sierra to her wagon. Inside the wagon it was cramped, much like Richard and Sakura's had been. Ai went to a small chest shoved up against the wall at the back. She opened it and pulled out two nightgowns.

She handed one to Sierra, "Here you go."

The girls turned their backs on each other and changed as quickly as the cramped room would allow. "Just put your clothes by the door," Ai said, tossing her own into the same spot. "We'll wash them tomorrow before we move out."

Sierra did the same thing. She looked back at Ai and saw the girl spreading out blankets on the wagon floor. "I'm afraid Richard and Sakura are the only ones that actually have a bed," she said.

Sierra nodded. "That's fine." She helped Ai finish setting out the blankets and then the two crawled under them.

"Goodnight, Sierra."

"Goodnight, Ai."

* * *

Sango shivered where she lay; trying hard not to groan so she wouldn't wake her family. How could one feel like they were on fire, yet they were freezing to death at the same time?

She bit her lip to keep from crying out at the stabbing pain in her side. It didn't take a genius to understand that her wound was infected, and steadily getting worse.

_I'm going to die. No, no, I don't want to die! Not now, not like this!_

Sango felt tears run down her cheeks, hot and cold at the same time.

A small sound close to her caught her attention. _Someone's here. Is it Miroku? No, if it was Miroku he would have spoken by now._

Feeling fingers brush across her face, Sango opened her eyes. However, her vision was blurred with sickness and tears, and she couldn't tell anything about the figure crouched beside her, not even whether they were male or female.

The person touched the wound in Sango's side, and fire lanced through her. Unable to stop herself, Sango cried out, but a strong hand covered her mouth so she woke no one.

"You care for your sons," a voice whispered. Through the haze of her pain, Sango couldn't make out if it was a man or woman's voice. "Because of that, I will care for you."

A smell filled her nostrils then, a sickly sweet smell like flowers that had been trampled to death. She gagged, but there was nothing in her stomach to vomit up. Her head swimming, Sango passed out.

Sango woke as sunlight slipped through cracks in the hut and fell upon her face. Her head was surprisingly clear, and she didn't ache the way she had the night before.

Sango carefully pushed herself into a sitting position, feeling uncharacteristically weak. "My fever is gone," she whispered. How had that happened?

Looking down to examine her wound, Sango saw that it had been bandaged with clean strips of cloth. With the sight came memories of the night before.

"Sango?"

She turned her head to see Miroku sitting up and examining her.

"Someone treated my wound last night."

Miroku's eyes sharpened. "Who?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I was completely out of it. But it must have been someone from her side."

Miroku nodded his head. "But why would any of them want to help you?"

Sango frowned. "I seem to recall them saying it was because I cared for my sons. But why would that matter to any of them?"

"It's confusing all right," Miroku said. "But we may have an ally in the camp, and that's enough for hope."

They fell into silence, and soon the others in the hut began to wake up. Not long after the last person had woken up, the door opened and the hanyou from the day before walked in. Kovu, his name was, if Sango remembered correctly.

He was carrying a large basket and jug, both of which he set down on the floor. "Eat," he said simply, and left, his head bowed the whole time.

Miroku and Sango found that the basket was filled with bread, and the jug with water. They passed the food out, making sure the youngest were fed first. They didn't eat themselves until they saw that everyone else had had food.

No sooner had they finished eating then Kovu returned, Eriko with him this time. The girl looked around imperiously. "You two shall do," she said to two young women. "Come with me."

The girls shrank back in fear, and Sango and Miroku stood to their feet. "What are you taking them for?" Sango demanded.

Eriko sent her an annoyed look. "Silence her Kovu."

Kovu didn't move. "I only take orders from My Lady, Eriko," he said softly, his tone chiding her gently as though she were a child who had tried to order an adult around.

Eriko gave an exasperated sigh. "If you must know, those two are going to serve as Lady Yuki's personal slaves. For now anyways."

"They will not," Miroku said.

"If they do not," Eriko replied smiling sweetly, "they will serve the army instead."

That stopped Miroku cold. He and Sango both knew what would happen if the girls were made to do that.

Eriko appeared satisfied. "Come on now girls. You both need baths and clean clothes before you can serve Lady Yuki. She won't want dirty slaves."

Trembling, the girls stood and followed the two out of the hut.

Unable to do anything to help anyone, Sango and Miroku sank back down to the ground.

_Please. Please let Shippo get to Inuyasha and Kagome soon._

But as Sango stared at the wall in anger, she knew in her heart soon might not be soon enough.

* * *

Shippo had been flying all day yesterday, and all through the night. He needed a short rest now to replenish his strength. He stopped by a stream and said, "Masashi, Kenji, hop off now."

The young men complied and Shippo changed back to his usual shape. "I just need about an hour break," he told them. "And now is a good time for us to get baths."

"Baths?" Masashi said. "We don't have time for that."

"Yes, we do," Shippo said. "The three of us reek of death, you two especially. We'll never be allowed in a Capitol city smelling like this."

They grumbled, but stripped off their clothes and washed in the stream until Shippo couldn't smell death on them anymore. Then they had to scrub their clothes as well, which they lay out on some bushes to dry.

"So," Shippo finally said. "Tell me everything that happened."

Taking turns, the brothers told Shippo of the battle, Ryou's death, capture, and everything else that had happened.

"So this human woman, Yuki, is in charge of everything?"

"That's how it appears," Kenji said.

"Hmm. For a human to control yokai, she must be a dark miko."

This caused both boys to start. "A dark miko?" Masashi exclaimed.

Shippo nodded. "It's the only explanation that makes sense. Yokai wouldn't follow a regular human. And for her to be in control of so many, she must be a powerful miko indeed."

He looked up at the sky. "I wonder how exactly she knows Sesshomaru, and why she wants to destroy the West?"

"Could Sesshomaru have done something to her?" Kenji asked. "Maybe he caused the destruction of her village or something."

Shippo shook his head. "No, I doubt that. You two haven't ever met Sesshomaru have you? Well, it's true that when Sesshomaru decides to kill someone, he's utterly ruthless. However, he doesn't go around randomly killing people. If he does decide to kill someone he always has a reason. And despite what most people believe, he isn't unnecessarily cruel. He's actually a decent guy, though I'm sure he wouldn't like me saying so."

Shippo stopped talking and checked the clothes. "The clothes are dry now. Let's get dressed and go."

* * *

Shen walked inside the palace, coming back from checking on the guards on the walls. They were all alert and watching. He wasn't sure where Lord Sesshomaru was. He thought that Lord Sesshomaru might be trying to comfort Lady Lilianna. She had been inconsolable since the disappearance of Princess Sierra.

"All well?"

Shen glanced up and saw Hiro. "As well as it can be. The soldiers are frustrated though that they don't know who is attacking, and that we can't strike back."

Hiro nodded. "I know how they feel. Hopefully the scouts we sent out will find something quickly."

They walked in silence a while, having no real destination in mind. "So," Hiro said, "are you going to ask for Isamu's hand?"

Shen glanced sharply at him. "We have just had an unknown enemy declare war upon us. Now is hardly the time."

"Now is the perfect time. Like you said, we've just had war declared on us. We don't know who will be alive and who will be dead at the end of it. If you wait, you might never get a chance."

Shen had to admit what Hiro said made sense. He didn't want to think he would die in this war, but who could tell the future? And Shen hated the thought of dying without knowing if Isamu loved him or not.

"I've got work to attend to," Hiro said. "I'll leave you to think about it."

Shen watched Hiro walk away, and then went to his own room where he could think in peace. Maybe Hiro was right. Maybe he should just ask Isamu to marry him.

"If I don't do it now, I never will."

Having finally decided on his course, Shen wanted to act on it that very day.

But before he could ask Isamu for her hand, he had to ask Inuyasha for his permission. "I am not going to enjoy this."

Shen thought he recalled seeing Inuyasha with Kagome in the gardens. Impatient, Shen simply hoped to the ground out of his window. He walked through the gardens determinedly searching for the hanyou.

Within a few minutes Shen had located him. Inuyasha was walking with Kagome, and they were talking about something. Shen was polite enough not to listen in.

"Excuse me."

The two stopped and turned to look at him. "Oh, hello Shen," Kagome said with a smile.

Inuyasha didn't say anything, but he did send Shen a frown. Shen had the feeling that Inuyasha knew what he was going to ask.

Shen took a deep breath, and plunged right into what he wanted to ask. "I have come to ask your permission to make Isamu my wife."

There. He'd said it. It was their turn now.

Kagome looked rather surprised, and glanced up at Inuyasha. For once, Inuyasha's face was as unreadable as Lord Sesshomaru's. The silence dragged on, and each passing moment made Shen feel more uncomfortable.

"If you're the one Isamu wants," Inuyasha finally said, "then I give my approval. However, if you ever do anything to hurt her, I will kill you."

Inuyasha made the statement with such simple certainty that for the very first time, Shen thought that he wouldn't be able to defeat Inuyasha if they ever came to blows.

"That will never be necessary," Shen said, and then left in search of Isamu. It took him a full ten minutes to find her in the library, reading a book.

Shen stopped in the doorway, studying her. Her long white hair was still back in its braid, and she had no bangs hanging in her face. Her skin had a golden tan from long days out in the sun, and her deep brown eyes were so soft and gentle as they scanned the page of her book.

As though sensing his perusal, Isamu looked up and her eyes met his. He saw a slight blush cross her face, and she stood from her seat. "General Shen." Her voice was the sweetest sound that Shen had ever heard.

His eyes glanced over her body. He wished she would wear clothes other than that miko outfit. It hid absolutely everything.

"Isamu."

"Can I help you with something?" she asked.

More than she realized.

Shen walked forward until he was less than a foot away from her. He saw the blush on her face deepen. He reached out his hand and brushed his fingers along her cheek. Her skin was so soft.

"Marry me," he said.

She gasped her eyes wide. "Wh-what?"

"Marry me."

He saw her eyes soften. "Yes."

Shen found himself grinning widely. Without hesitating, he pulled Isamu into his arms and kissed her firmly. He felt her melt against him as she returned his kiss.

"Tonight," he whispered hoarsely when he pulled away from her.

"Tonight?" she asked confused.

"Marry me tonight."

"What? We couldn't possibly manage it tonight!"

Shen smirked. "I'm not talking about a human wedding. Yokai do not require a ceremony. All that I need to do is mark you, and I don't think you want an audience for that."

She blushed again, but Shen could tell she was considering his words. He really hoped she would agree. He didn't think he could wait any longer.

Isamu finally nodded. "Okay, tonight."

Shen's smirk spread into a grin. He didn't think he'd ever stop smiling then. "Good. After dinner come to my chambers, and it will be done."

Isamu nodded again. Shen kissed her again, quickly this time. "I must get back to my duties. I will see you at dinner."

"I'll see you then," Isamu said.

Shen walked away with a spring in his step. He couldn't wait until after dinner.

* * *

Inutaisho crouched on the riverbank, studying the ground. The smell was faint, but he knew Sierra had been there.

"This is where she came out," he said. He moved forward several paces. "She's following the river north."

"Well," said Yumi. "Now that we know where she's going, I say we take a break."

"We can't take a break," Inutaisho said. "We have to keep going."

"I don't have to do anything," Yumi snapped.

Rai stepped in before Inutaisho could respond. "She's right about us needing a rest. We've been going nonstop for days now. If we keep pushing ourselves and we wind up running into trouble, we might not be able to handle it. And if we get ourselves killed, we won't be able to bring your sister back."

Inutaisho knew that Rai was exaggerating the situation a bit, but his words did make him stop and think. If they wore themselves out now, it could cause trouble later.

"Fine, we will rest, but only for one hour."

Yumi rolled her eyes. "I'm going to look for some food." She walked off, and Rai sat down against a tree trunk. Inutaisho forced himself to sit down as well, though he didn't want to.

Without physical actions to occupy his thoughts, Inutaisho's mind began to wander. More than any other thought it centered on why Sierra had left. He couldn't figure it out.

Inutaisho knew that Sierra had had some sort of fight with their Father, but he also knew that one argument wouldn't cause her to leave. Had she simply been unhappy? If so, Inutaisho couldn't comprehend why.

His frustration boiling over, Inutaisho punched the ground. "It makes no sense. Why would she leave? There was no reason to."

"I wonder," Rai said. Inutaisho looked over at him.

"You think she had a reason for going?"

Rai shrugged. "I only speculate. After all, I never got to know your sister. But I wonder if she felt trapped."

"Trapped?"

"Well, think about her life. Her days were strictly scheduled, by other people. She was never given much privacy, unless she was in her bedroom. She was never allowed to exert herself, to run around, or do anything physically taxing for fear of her health. She wasn't allowed in the gardens by herself, and until she ran away had never once set foot outside the palace gates. So far as I know, she had no friends outside of her family. How would you feel if that was your life?"

Inutaisho sat, silent. He had never thought about it in those terms. But when he sat and thought about it now, he realized her life had been dull, suffocating, and most likely lonely.

"It will be even worse when she gets back," Inutaisho said. "Father won't let her out of the palace for this, maybe not even out of her chambers."

"Maybe it would be better for Sierra if we simply didn't find her," Rai said.

Inutaisho shook his head. "No. It might be selfish of me, but I can't let her go. Not when I don't know that she's safe and happy. Not when she didn't say goodbye. I have to find her."

Rai bowed his head. "I understand."

Their talk was interrupted by a sudden shriek. Both men were instantly on their feet.

"That was Yumi," Rai said.

They took off in the direction they had heard the cry coming from, and soon saw Yumi running as fast as she could towards them. Behind her were hundreds of bees coming fast.

But these weren't just any bees, these were yokai bees. Each one was the size of a cat, and the poison of one could kill a human. Yokai could stand three or four stings from them at a time and come out no worse for the wear, but there were hundreds of these monsters, to many for them to hope to kill.

Inutaisho and Rai did the only thing they could. They turned and ran.

Unfortunately, yokai bees had great amounts of stamina, and were up to chasing their victims for several hours.

The three continued to run heedless of their direction. Somehow or another, they found themselves in a swamp. "The water!" Inutaisho shouted. They ran towards a stagnant, foul smelling, goop covered lake and jumped in. The water was deep enough that the three could easily stay under, and their lungs were strong enough that they could hold their breath a good ten minutes.

_I just hope there aren't any swamp monsters in here._

They stayed down until it seemed their lungs would burst, and then they went to the surface to gasp for a lungful of air. Inutaisho was rewarded with a sharp sting in his shoulder. He dived back under water where his claws made quick work of the bee that had stung him.

They waited again, and this time when they went up the bees were gone. They swam to the shore and climbed out of the foul water. Inutaisho had fared the best out of all of them with only one sting. Rai had been stung twice, Yumi four times. Inutaisho could not make himself feel pity for her.

"What did you do?" he growled.

"I just wanted some honey," she said, shivering, a sign that the poison was having some effect. They would have to find a place for her to rest at least eight hours to regain her strength.

"From a hive that huge?" Inutaisho asked, still angry.

"I didn't realize," she whimpered, sounding utterly pathetic. Inutaisho still didn't care.

"What's done is done, Inutaisho," Rai said, who had by now moved to support Yumi as she was having trouble standing. "We'll have to find a place to rest while the poison works out of her system." He glanced down at himself and wrinkled his nose. "We also need a place to take a bath."

"I know," Inutaisho said. "But that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

Still simmering with anger at the new delay in finding Sierra, Inutaisho led the way out of the swamp, but slowly so they wouldn't run into the tail end of those stupid bees.

* * *

I just love that image. You know, of Inutaisho, Yumi, and Rai running from all those bees. It makes me laugh every time I think about it.

And yes, I do know that this is the second chapter that Sesshomaru did not make an appearence in. I promise, he will show up in the next chapter, but this is the trouble that comes up when you're writing about so many diferent characters, it's hard to find space for them all.


	18. Chapter 18

'Kay, here's the new chappie. It's my Christmas present to all of you! I'll try and get the next one out before New Years, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

Oh, and I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but I've started a series of one shots called SD Shorts that accompany this story. It's different ideas that I had that for whatever reason I couldn't fit in the main story. And I will have no spoilers in there, I promise you.

Don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

"Daddy, I have done it," Little Blue said as Seth tucked her under the covers for bed.

"Done what?" he asked her.

"I have found my new Mommy."

Seth froze at her words and stared down at her. "You have."

Little Blue nodded decisively. "Yes. My new Mommy will be Sierra."

Seth sat down beside her. "And how exactly did you come to this conclusion?"

"Well," she said, "I've wanted a Mommy for a while now. I've been watching everyone in the Troupe, but I haven't seen anyone who I thought was Mommy material. So when Sierra showed up, of course I had to see if she might fit the qualifications, so I spent all day with her."

"And how did she convince you that she would be a good mommy in just one day?"

Little Blue took a deep breath before diving into her story. "Okay, here's exactly what happened."

* * *

Little Blue sat beneath her wagon studying the list she had just made. It was a list of all the qualities she thought a good Mommy would need.

Number one, she must protect me.

Number two, she must like Daddy.

Number three, she must like children. Lots of children.

Number four, she must like strawberries.

Number five, she must be fun to play with.

Number six, she must be able to tell stories.

Number seven, she must be responsible.

"I think that does it," Little Blue said. She put a check by number one. "Sierra's already met that qualification. Now to find out about the rest."

Little Blue crawled out from under the wagon and stretched. She just needed to find Sierra so she could begin her investigation. A few minutes of searching revealed she was about to wash her clothes with Ai before the Troupe started traveling that day.

Little Blue hid behind a tree to watch the two girls.

Ai started washing her clothes in the river right away, but Sierra hesitated.

_Uh oh, if Sierra won't work that will make her irresponsible, and Daddy won't want me to have a Mommy that is irresponsible._

"Is something wrong, Sierra?" Ai asked.

Sierra looked embarrassed. "Well, I don't know how to wash clothes," she admitted. "I've never done it before."

"I didn't know how to do it either before I came here," Ai said. "I'll teach you. It's not so hard as long as you don't have a pile of clothes to do. That's why I like to do mine every morning."

To Little Blue's delight, Sierra paid good attention to Ai and worked hard to learn how to properly wash her clothes. She seemed more than willing to do the work.

_That definitely fits number seven._

That was two down, five to go.

They finished their washing and began walking back to their wagon with the wet laundry. Part of the way there, Seth showed up.

"Good morning," he said to them. "Have either of you seen Little Blue?"

"No we haven't," Sierra answered with a slight shake of her head. Little Blue noticed that Sierra was blushing.

_Why would she be blushing? Let's see, Ai blushes around Agol a lot, and Daddy says it's 'cause she likes Agol. That must mean that Sierra likes Daddy!_

Little Blue grinned. That met up with the second requirement. Three down, four to go.

"Little Blue."

Little Blue looked up to see her Daddy staring down at her. "Yes, Daddy?"

"If you heard me asking where you where, why didn't you come out?"

"I was thinking," she said defensively.

"Little Blue," he said with that soft warning tone she had come to recognize.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she said. "I didn't mean to be sassy."

"Just come next time. Now let's eat breakfast before we leave."

Little Blue followed him and when they got by Sierra and Ai's wagon where they were hanging their wet clothes, Little Blue grasped at another chance. "Daddy, will there be strawberries today?"

Seth sent her a bemused look. He knew that Little Blue was aware that they didn't have any strawberries. She'd eaten that last of them herself. "No, not yet Little Blue."

Little Blue sighed in disappointment. "I wish we had some." She turned to Sierra with an innocent look and asked, "Do you like strawberries, Sierra?"

Sierra seemed slightly startled. "Um, well yes, I do. They're my favorite type of berry actually."

_Yes! Score on that one. Now just three more things to find out._

Little Blue waited after breakfast for another opportunity to present itself, but time seemed to be moving as slowly as their wagons. Finally she went to Ai and Sierra's wagon and found them both sitting in the front seat as it rolled along. With a quick flap of her wings, Little Blue alighted on the wagon.

"Careful!" Sierra said, immediately reaching out to steady Little Blue, though she didn't actually need any help.

Little Blue gave her a toothy grin. "It's okay, Sierra. Wagon hopping is easy; I do it all the time."

"And why have you hopped to our wagon?" Ai asked.

Little Blue sat on the bench between them. "I'm bored. Do you know any good stories, Sierra?"

Sierra looked thoughtful. "Well, as a matter of fact, I do know a few."

Little Blue perked up. "Can you tell me one?"

Sierra nodded with a smile. "Of course. Once upon a time…"

Little Blue sat enthralled by the story Sierra weaved for her. When it finally ended, she was surprised to see they were stopping for lunch. "That was great!" Little Blue gushed. "You are the best story teller ever!"

Sierra laughed, looking embarrassed. "Oh, I don't know about that."

Little Blue shook her head. "No, no, you're really, really amazing. You could enchant anybody!"

Still looking embarrassed, Sierra accepted the compliment. "Thank you, Little Blue."

Little Blue hopped off of the wagon and ran to find Seth before he had to come looking for her. She was feeling quite pleased by this time. She was becoming more and more convinced that Sierra was the one meant to be her Mommy.

She hurried through the meal, and watched impatiently for Sierra to finish. When she was done, Little Blue rushed over and took her hand. "Will you play with me, please?"

"Little Blue, give her food time to settle," Seth said.

Little Blue's shoulders drooped. She had thought this would be a good time to play.

"I don't mind," Sierra said. "A bit of playtime won't hurt."

"Yay! Let's go!"

Little Blue dragged Sierra off before Daddy could protest again. Little Blue spotted a nearby field of wild flowers. "Oh, can we make flower chains?"

Sierra nodded. "You'll have to teach me how though. I've not done it before."

Little Blue was quite surprised by this. "I thought anyone who was female had made flower chains."

Sierra looked a little sad for some reason. "I was never allowed to play outside much when I was little, and when I got older it would have been undignified for me to do such a thing."

"Oh. Why weren't you allowed to play outside?"

Sierra shrugged and sat down in the flowers. "My parents thought I would get hurt."

"Okay. Were you sickly?"

Sierra smiled, but she still seemed a bit sad. "Sort of."

Little Blue didn't quite understand, but she could tell that this talk was bothering Sierra. "Well, I'll teach you how to make the best flower chains ever!"

Filled with enthusiasm, Little Blue taught Sierra the fine art of making things out of flowers. She was pleased to see that as they did this Sierra's sadness disappeared. All too soon they were called back to the wagons so they could travel on a bit longer.

Since Sierra had filled every quality but one so far, Little Blue decided to ask about the last directly. "Sierra, do you like kids?"

Sierra looked surprised once more. "Well, sure I do. I love children."  
"Do you want to have a bunch of children of your own one day?"

Sierra seemed confused at Little Blue's line of questioning. "If I ever got married, then yes, I would like to have my own children."

Little Blue grinned happily. Sierra was just _perfect._ "Okay! I'll see you latter," she called as she rushed off to her wagon, leaving a puzzled Sierra behind.

* * *

Seth stared down at his daughter as she finished relating her tale. "So that's why you were acting strange."

Little Blue nodded her face serious. "Yes, and Sierra will make a good Mommy for me, don't you think?"

Little Blue might be convinced, but Seth wasn't. For one thing, he thought it would take more than one day to tell someone's true character. Also, her blushing didn't mean she liked him. Humans had a ridiculously strict sense of modesty, and it was more likely that she was embarrassed by his lack of clothing than attracted to him.

However, Little Blue did make a few good points. She was obviously good with children, and seemed to enjoy spending time with Little Blue. That she was willing to work was evident, as all day he'd seen her doing her best to be helpful to everyone. It was also obvious that Little Blue had her heart set on Sierra being her mother. At the very least, Seth felt he should look into the possibility of perhaps making her his mate.

"We shall see, Little Blue."

"She's very pretty," Little Blue added in an attempt to be helpful.

But Seth didn't need to be told of her beauty. He was a dragon yokai; he knew beauty when he saw it. Sierra was most certainly a beautiful girl. But beauty alone did not make a good life partner.

"We shall see," he said sticking with his first answer.

Little Blue was disappointed, he could tell, but she accepted his answer. "Yes, Daddy." The girl soon dropped off to sleep. As for Seth, he laid for a while thinking before sleep claimed him.

* * *

Inutaisho studied the ground under the light of the setting sun. They had finally made it back to the river and started following Sierra's trail, but something had changed now.

"A man found her," Inutaisho said. He frowned. The scent was too old for him to discern whether he was a friend or foe, so he had to concentrate on what his eyes could tell him instead.

"Look here," Rai said.

Inutaisho and Yumi both walked over to where Rai was pointing out several broken reeds by the edge of the water. A further study of the ground showed that it had been disturbed, perhaps by a slight struggle.

"Looks like she didn't go willingly," Yumi said.

Inutaisho felt anger curl in his stomach at the thought of his baby sister being taken captive. When he found the vermin who had dared to lay a hand on her, they were going to pay.

One of the last rays of the sun glinted off of something metal and caught Inutaisho's eyes. He reached over and picked up a jewel encrusted comb. It was Sierra's. Sesshomaru had had it specially made for her. It was one of the few gifts their Father had ever given her, and Inutaisho knew she treasured it deeply. It must have fallen out of her bag when the human had captured her.

Inutaisho tucked the comb inside his shirt, close to his heart. He would be sure to return it to her when he found her.

Without a word the three yokai continued on, following the trail the human had left for them.

* * *

Lilianna lay in her bed listlessly. She had lacked the energy for anything save weeping for the past few days. But now, her energy for even that was gone. She sat up slowly her hair in disarray about her shoulders. She was tired of lying in bed. She was tired of everything.

Lilianna stood up and walked to her vanity. She thumped down in her chair without her usual grace. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. It was a sad sight. Her skin was paler than usual, she had dark rings under her eyes, and her hair was dull.

"You look pathetic," she told her reflection. She couldn't summon the effort to care. Lilianna buried her face in her hands.

_Why? Why did Sierra run away? Does she hate us so much? Was I a horrible mother to her? What did I do to make this happen?_

Tears leaked out between her fingers. Again she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She looked horrible. No one would recognize this weeping creature as the Lady of the West.

"What am I doing?" she asked herself. "What have I accomplished by weeping day and night?"

Lilianna felt disgust for her current state. She had never broken down like this before, and had always felt contempt in her heart for those who did. But she'd never know anything to grieve her so much either.

"No," she whispered. "I've had enough. Enough! I can't do this any longer. Tears and self pity won't bring Sierra back." She lifted her chin and stared haughtily at the mirror. "I am a Lady, I am above this behavior."

What must everyone think of her for doing this? What must Sesshomaru think of her? No doubt he was ashamed of her. Lilianna was ashamed of herself.

Decisively she stood from her chair and walked to her and Sesshomaru's private baths. It was high time she got herself cleaned up. Lilianna spent the next hour bathing, scrubbing every inch of herself and giving special attention to her hair. When she felt clean Lilianna exited the bath and dressed in one of her better kimonos.

She sat down at her vanity again and began to work a comb through her hair. It had been sadly neglected and was extremely tangled. To get it untangled took the better part of an hour, to style it the rest of the hour.

Looking at her now composed reflection, Lilianna felt more like her old self. It was true none of the pain was gone, but she didn't feel so pitiful any more.

The door opened and Sesshomaru walked into the room. He stopped when he saw Lilianna, and she saw some of the tension leave him as he looked at her. She knew he was relieved to see that she had pulled herself together.

He walked foreword to where she sat and leaned down wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He said nothing, but pressed a gentle kiss on her temple.

Lilianna placed one of her hands over his. "I am sorry, Sesshomaru, for how I've been acting."

"You do not need to ask for forgiveness," he told her.

Lilianna smiled, and sank back into the welcome comfort of his arms. How could she have forgotten that Sesshomaru was there to help her through everything? That she didn't have to bear her pains alone?

"It is time for dinner," he said.

Lilianna didn't want to go. She would much rather stay where she was nestled in Sesshomaru's arms. Unfortunately, they had an appearance to keep up. "Very well," she said with a sigh.

The walked to the dining room together, and for once Sesshomaru held her hand her hand. That wasn't something he did very often, but he seemed to understand her need for his closeness this night.

As they walked into the dining hall Lilianna was quite aware of the looks that were sent her way. She was aware of the many veiled looks that surely hid contempt or some other similar emotion. But she was also aware of the happiness on Kit and Kat's faces the understanding on Kagome's and the barely perceptible nod that Inuyasha sent her. Small warmth filled her to know that these people, her family, would always accept and love her no matter what she did.

She sat in her place alongside Sesshomaru and the meal began. As they ate Lilianna noted that Isamu was not sitting in her usual seat by her parents and Ran, but beside Shen instead. After a subtle inspection Lilianna noted the bite mark on Isamu's neck.

"When did that happen?" she asked Sesshomaru softly.

"Last night," Sesshomaru told her.

She made a small noise that could have been interpreted as anything. She was pleased with the match, though a yokai choosing a miko to mate was as rare as…well as a yokai mating a miko, as the common yokai saying went.

Still, Lilianna thought it was a good match. She would have to come up with a gift for Isamu to celebrate. Perhaps some nice kimonos, all the girl ever wore were those miko outfits. Lilianna supposed they were practical for mikos, but they were hardly attractive, and Isamu wasn't likely to act as a professional miko now that she had married Shen.

Yes, Lilianna decided. Kimonos should be the perfect gift.

* * *

Yuki shrugged the kimono off her shoulders and settled into the hot bath her two new slaves had prepared for her. They weren't the greatest slaves; they were so terrified that it was a bit difficult to get them to do anything. But Yuki felt certain that once the girls realized that she wouldn't hurt them unless they did something to displease her they would be much better.

She turned slightly so that she could see Eriko and Kovu who were standing by the door. Yuki noted the extra tension in Kovu's shoulders with a smile. Yuki knew very well that Kovu disliked seeing her bathe, but it didn't bother Yuki at all. Yuki knew her body looked nice, and to be honest she liked showing it off. That the sight of her naked body bothered Kovu was just an added plus.

"What village should we attack next, do you think?" she asked Eriko.

Eriko moved to the map that had been penned to the wall so that Yuki could see it. "I think this would be a good choice, my Lady." Eriko was pointing to a town about fifteen miles from the one they were currently in, that was a bit larger as well.

Yuki nodded. "That is a good choice. You will lead the attack again Eriko, but this time do try and leave things a bit more intact? Including the people. I need more slaves. I'm hoping for some handsome men this time."

"If you need entertainment, why not use one of the monk's sons?" Eriko asked. "They are not bad looking, for humans."

Yuki waved a hand dismissively. "To young. I like my men a bit older."

"Of course my Lady," Eriko said.

"You are both dismissed," Yuki told them, sinking back into the warm water. The two bowed and exited the room. Yuki sighed contentedly. Plotting to destroy the West, tormenting Kovu, relaxing in a hot bath; Yuki decided it had been quite a pleasing day.

* * *

Shippo leaned against the tree. Master Ashja would be pleased to know he had been able to use this much of his power without resting, but it was taking its toll.

_I don't know how much longer I can go without collapsing._

But he had to keep going. He had to find Inuyasha and Kagome and warn them about what was happening.

"I need to sleep," he told Kenji and Masashi. "Wake me up in one hour and we'll keep going."

They nodded, though Shippo could tell by the looks on their faces that they didn't want to stop. Shippo lay down. He either rested now or collapsed later. "Don't worry, we're close," he told them. "If we keep pushing, we'll make it by tomorrow night," he said, mumbling. "I promise."

* * *

I have one word for you all, the word every writer on here has used at least fifty times.

**REVIEW.**


	19. Chapter 19

Oh my gosh, it feels like it took me forever to write this one. And I can't believe I've made it to chapter 19. It's like, wow. 19 chapters and so little has happened. And yet, many things have happened. I think after this though things will start picking up the pace a bit more. Maybe.

Oh, and I want to thank those who took the time to review! I don't really have time to respond to reviews anymore, but I still appreciate them all the same. You have my deepest thanks!

Anywho, enjy the new chapter.

I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Sierra sat on the creaking wagon seat as it rolled forward. Her second full day with the Troupe had started much like her first, with her and Ai doing laundry first thing, then eating breakfast, and everyone packing up and moving out.

Sierra had been surprised to discover that she rather enjoyed washing her clothes. It was the first chore she'd ever had, and it gave Sierra a sense of accomplishment to know that she could do at least this one thing for herself.

_Although,_ she reflected, _it's about the only thing I can do for myself._

"Sierra," Ai spoke, breaking their silence, "forgive me if you think I'm prying, but I feel like I should say something."

Sierra looked at Ai, a feeling of unease fluttering in her stomach. "Yes?"

"I have a feeling that our pasts are similar, and so I want to tell you my story. I was the daughter of a lord in the Middle Lands," Ai told her.

Sierra nodded. The Middle Lands were predominately human, and while on maps they were divided amongst the North, South, East, and West, in actuality the Middle Lands were left pretty much on their own. Sierra knew that Uncle Inuyasha and Aunt Kagome's village was on the edge of the Middle Lands and the West.

"I am sad to say my father was not the best lord. He was a hard man, and too quick to cast unfavorable judgment on others. In all honesty I'm not sure he understood the concept of mercy, even when it came to those he was supposed to love." Ai stopped speaking a moment before she continued.

"Eventually the people grew weary of my father's harsh rule. They rebelled, and my father was overthrown. I was barely able to escape the slaughter of the castle folk. But when I had gotten away safely, I realized that I had other problems. I had been a princess, you see, so I didn't know how to do anything practical at all. I didn't know what plants were good to eat, and what weren't, I couldn't have defended myself if someone had attacked me; I was helpless. I doubt I would have survived the first week if Richard hadn't found me."

Ai looked at Sierra with a smile. "What I'm trying to say is all of here have hard pasts, reasons we had to leave our homes. We won't hate you because you're not perfect; certainly none of us can claim perfection. We're all misfits, so we sort of formed a misfit family together." Ai bit her lip.

"Oh, I'm not doing a good job of explaining this, am I? I just want you to know that you can trust us, okay?"

Sierra stared at her shoes as Ai finished talking. There were, she knew, vast differences between her story and Ai's. Still, some of it had struck close to home. Sierra found she wanted to talk to Ai, to tell her everything that had happened to her and why she was here in the first place. But she couldn't. Sierra couldn't open up about her life to anyone. Ai said they wouldn't care about her past, but what would they think if they knew who she really was?

Finally Sierra raised her head. "I know I can trust all of you, Ai…I just…I need time."

Ai nodded. "I understand. No one will try to force you when you aren't ready."

They lapsed into a silence that was suddenly broken as Little Blue landed on the seat beside them. Sierra instantly grabbed hold of her to make sure that she wouldn't fall off. "Little Blue! You really shouldn't do that, it's dangerous."

Little Blue grinned. "I told you yesterday, Sierra, I do it all the time. 'S'not hard at all."

Sierra frowned. "Even so, I'd feel better if you just asked us to stop the wagon."

As she spoke, Sierra became aware that someone was watching her. She glanced back and saw Seth watching them. She quickly glanced away, feeling her face flush slightly.

_He was probably just making sure Little Blue got up here okay._

Sierra wasn't entirely comfortable with Seth's presence, though she'd never say anything about it, mainly because she knew that her discomfort stemmed from the fact that not only was he the first man that she had seen without a shirt, he was also the first man that had ever held her. Well, other than Kane, that was. But as Sierra was doing her best to erase the whole bandit incident from her memory, she refused to count him.

Now, Sierra wasn't silly enough to think that his holding her had any romantic qualities in it. They had needed to fly, and she couldn't, so Seth had had to carry her. That was it. And if you considered what Seth was, his going without a shirt constantly wasn't strange either. After all, most dragon yokai didn't wear them. It was just weird for Sierra to see a half naked man walking around.

Not that Sierra was complaining exactly. After all, it wasn't like Seth was ugly. Sierra could willingly admit that he was quite handsome. It was just different, and it made Sierra rather uncomfortable, as she found she had to fight an urge to stare.

"Sierra!"

Sierra jumped when Little Blue shouted in her ear. Sierra felt embarrassed when she realized that the whole time she had been lost in thought Little Blue had been trying to get her attention.

"Sorry, Little Blue, what were you saying?"

Little Blue sighed in exasperation. "Geez, what were you daydreaming about? Didn't you notice anything I said?"

"Sorry," Sierra said again.

"Well?" asked Little Blue expectantly.

"Well, what?"

Ai laughed. "She wants you to tell her what you were daydreaming about." Ai smiled mischievously. "Though I think I could guess."

Sierra blushed slightly. How much had Ai guessed, exactly?

"Was it about a guy?" Little Blue asked leaning forward.

Sierra stared at her. How old was she, seven, eight? There was no way Little Blue should be thinking about guys like that yet. "How old are you?"

"Ten," Little Blue said.

That was still too young. Especially for a yokai, as they didn't get married until their sixties at the earliest.

"What would you know about girls and guys?" Ai asked, apparently thinking the same thing Sierra was.

"I know that girls and guys get married when they grow up," Little Blue said. "That's how we get mommies and daddies."

"That's true," Sierra said.

"But that's all I really know," Little Blue admitted.

_That's good. Right now, that's all you need to know._

"Time to stop for lunch," Ai said.

"Already?" Sierra asked. It didn't seem as though that much time had gone by.

Ai stopped the wagon and the girls all climbed down. As Ai was unhitching the horses Seth appeared. "Richard says that we're stopping here for the day," he told them.

"That's a relief," Ai said. "I do hate riding in the wagon all day."

Seth leaned against the wagon, his arms crossed over his chest. "Of course, the reason for this longer delay is so we can practice the play."

Sierra looked up at him, curious. "Play?"

Seth nodded, some of his pale bangs falling into his face. "Richard is having us perform a play, Beauty and the Beast. It's a rather interesting story. You should watch the practice."

Sierra smiled slightly. "Okay, I will."

"Come on, Little Blue," Seth said as he began to walk away. Little Blue obediently followed Seth, pausing a moment to wave goodbye to Sierra and Ai. Sierra was glad she had managed to have a conversation with Seth while looking at his face, and not else where.

"Little Blue really likes you," Ai said.

"You think?"

Ai nodded. "Yes. She doesn't usually go to the same wagon two days in a row, so for her to come to ours means she must really like you."

Sierra smiled, feeling pleased. She was already quite fond of the talkative little girl.

Soon Sakura was ringing the bell that signaled it was time for lunch. Everyone trooped over and the meal began. Sierra marveled at the vast difference in these boisterous meals and the silent, somber meals at the palace. No one at the palace would ever have dreamed of being so loud, or of telling stories like this, or of breaking into song for no apparent reason. The only meals that came close were the feasts, and even those were much toned down in comparison.

When the meal ended Sierra approached Sakura and asked, "Do you need any help cleaning up?"

Sakura smiled at Sierra, "We could always use some help cleaning up, dear. Get those dishes and bring them to the river, won't you?"

Sierra picked up the dishes and followed Sakura as she walked quickly towards the river. There were two other women there already. "Sierra, this is Mei and Tea. Ladies, this is Sierra."

The women both sent Sierra friendly smiles, which she returned. Mei was a pretty girl, and the younger of the two women, but still older than Sierra. Sierra thought Tea might be in her thirties, and was rather overweight.

"It's always nice to get a helping hand with the dishes," Tea said.

"I'm glad I can help," Sierra said. She knelt down by them and Sakura gave her a rag.

"You can use that to wash the dishes," Sakura told her. "I'm going to bring the rest of them over."

Sierra glanced at the already large pile of dishes to be washed and the two buckets of soapy water she was sitting by. Suddenly Sierra wasn't quite sure she was going to like washing dishes, but she couldn't very well back out now.

It wasn't so bad at first, not difficult at all to get the hang of. However, the once clean water was soon filled with the half eaten food that they had washed out of the bowels and plates, and Sierra found herself more and more reluctant to plunge her hands in the dirty water.

"You've never washed dishes before, have you?" Mei asked with a smile.

Sierra blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

Tea chuckled. "Afraid so. But it's not a big deal. Washing dishes isn't hard to do; really, it just takes a while with this big crowd."

"I noticed," Sierra said.

"I actually prefer washing the dishes to cooking," Mei said. "Washing is much easier with a crowd than cooking is."

"I've always preferred the cooking," Sakura said as she pulled a clean plate out of the soapy water.

"It does seem like cooking would be more enjoyable," Sierra said.

"Seem like?" Tea asked with raised brows. "You've never cooked either, then?"

Sierra blushed. "No. I haven't done many chores in my life actually."

"Well, you must learn how to cook," Sakura said. "Every woman should know how to do that. I'll teach you. Tonight you will be helping with dinner preparations."

Sierra nodded. "Yes, Sakura, and thank you."

Little Blue ran up to them then. "Sierra, Sierra, they're about to start play practice! You've gotta come watch."

Sierra was about to explain that she couldn't just yet when Sakura said, "Go on. There isn't much left for us to do."

Sierra smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Sakura."

Little Blue quickly dragged Sierra away towards a field that where the actors of the Troupe were milling about and getting into position.

"Alright!" Richard yelled into the crowd. "Let's get started! Ai!"

Ai walked slowly forward, a basket clasped in both hands, looking around as if observing her surroundings. As she moved she began to sing.

_Little town_

_It's a quiet village_

_Ev'ry day_

_Like the one before_

_Little town_

_Full of little people_

_Waking up to say:_

Here, the others began to move around as if walking down a street and waved to each other.

_Bonjour!_

_Bonjour!_

_Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour!_

Sierra found her feet tapping in time as they moved about singing and interacting. As she listened to the words, Sierra found herself relating to Belle, a girl who was trapped in a dull and suffocating life where no one could understand her.

She chuckled at the sight of Agol playing the man, Gaston, and a shorter, rather pudgy man whose name Sierra didn't know, played LeFou.

"Stop!" Richard called once they finished the first song. "Ai, you're still not getting it bloody well right."

Sierra saw Ai's eyes flash angrily. It looked like this must be an argument they had often.

"Then what exactly am I doing wrong?" Ai snapped. "I got all the words right, my singing was perfect, where am I messing up?"

Richard frowned, seemingly unable to put into words what was wrong. "It's just bloody wrong, Ai. Do it again."

They started from the beginning, and Ai did a surprisingly good job of erasing her anger before she started. Curious as to what Richard was finding wrong, Sierra paid special attention to Ai. As she did, Sierra realized something was indeed off in Ai's performance, but it was hard to say what exactly.

After watching them go through the first song several times, it hit Sierra what was wrong.

_She's getting the emotions off. Ai only shows one emotion at a time, and she shows it perfectly, but that's wrong. People almost always feel multiple and often conflicting emotions. It's really kind of rare to feel only one emotion at a time._

Now that she had figured out the error, it seemed glaringly obvious to Sierra. She wondered if she should speak up now or wait until after the practice was over to point out Ai's mistake. She didn't want to embarrass her.

"That's it!" Ai shouted. "I've had it with this play! I quit!"

After this loud declaration Ai stomped off to her wagon and closed herself in.

Richard muttered something in a language that Sierra didn't know, closing himself up in his wagon.

"I guess practice is over," Little Blue said.

"Did Ai really mean that she's quitting?" Sierra asked.

Little Blue nodded. "Yep. She did this once before, when she quits she doesn't come back."

Sierra frowned. "What will happen now?"

"Papa Richard will have to find someone else to play Belle," Little Blue said with a shrug. "Come on, let's go do something!" Little Blue took Sierra's hand and pulled her off. They wandered for a while, weaving amongst the wagons, until Sierra caught sight of Agol throwing daggers at a target he'd set up. She watched in fascination as everyone hit the bull's eye.

An idea sparked in Sierra's mind and she walked over. "Wow, you're really good at that," she said.

Agol looked startled, and then smiled. "Oh, thanks, Sierra. It comes from a lot of practice, but I guess I tend to be good with a lot of ranged weapons."

"Yeah, when we perform for people, Agol does a bunch of knife tricks," Little Blue said. "He'll have someone stand against a board, and then he throws knives all around them while blindfolded, and he's never, ever hit anyone."

Agol looked embarrassed by Little Blue's praise. "Oh, any knife thrower whose halfway decent can do that, as long as the person doesn't move. Hitting, or missing, a still target isn't all that hard. It's getting a moving target that's difficult."

"Could you teach me?" Sierra asked.

"Teach you?"

Sierra fidgeted. "Yes, well, you know Seth rescued me from bandits, right? The thing is, I own a pair of daggers, and if I'd known how to use them properly, I might not have been caught."

Agol nodded. "I see. Sure I'll teach you. How about we start now?"

Sierra smiled, relieved that Agol had agreed. Little Blue sat down, apparently interested in watching.

"Okay," Agol said, "first you need to know how to hold the knife."

* * *

Seth sat in a tree, unnoticed by those below him. He was watching Sierra as Agol began to teach her the basics of knife throwing. He had been observing her all day, in an effort to keep his promise to Little Blue.

So far, Seth had not really seen anything that he extremely disliked. Sierra was kind, had yet to lose her temper, and seemed more than willing to help others. The only thing that bothered him so far was that she seemed unaccustomed to work. He had overheard her tell Mei and Tea that she had not done chores before joining with the Troupe.

Still, she seemed willing enough to learn. Ai had taught her how to wash clothes, she had learned how to do dishes, and Sierra had seemed happy that Sakura was going to teach her how to cook. Seth supposed that her ignorance in these matters wasn't too big of an issue so long as she was willing to learn about them.

Also, Seth was pleased that Sierra wanted Agol to teach her how to use a weapon. That showed she wanted to be able to take care of herself, and not have to be dependant on others. That was a trait Seth admired in people.

Even though Seth hadn't seen anything yet to turn him off of Sierra, he still wasn't ready to commit to the idea of making her his mate. He would need a bit more time to tell that.

_Although, my answer is definitely starting to lean towards a yes._

* * *

Inutaisho wrinkled his nose as a foul odor hit him. The smell was both strong and distinctive, one that any yokai, and most humans for that matter, could easily recognize. It was the smell of death.

They had been following the trail left by the group of men that Sierra had been with. It was an easy enough trail to follow. There were quite a few men, and most were on horses. The only bad thing about it was that Sierra's scent was lost under the overpowering smells from everything else.

Now Inutaisho felt a sense of unease, wondering who was dead. He knew it had to be human, from its scent.

Soon enough the three came upon a clearing where the humans had apparently camped. Lying on the ground was a male human carcass, half eaten by some wild animal.

"Oh, ew, couldn't they have at least buried it?" Yumi asked in disgust.

Rai was wandering around what had probably been the edges of the camp. "It looks like they left in a hurry," Rai said. "They might not have been able to spare the time."

"It's still gross," she complained.

Inutaisho studied the corpse more closely. "I don't see and sword wounds."

"That doesn't mean much," Yumi said. "Half of him has been eaten."

"I think he died of a broken neck," Inutaisho said. "You can see how the bones are broken and twisted. Plus there hasn't been a huge spill of blood here like there would have been if he'd been stabbed. The blood that did spill was probably from him being eaten, and there wasn't much of that. Dead bodies don't bleed all that much, even when they're cut open."

"That's a rather odd way for a human to die," Rai said. "They don't often break each other's necks. Plus, this one looks like he was bigger and stronger than the average human."

"Maybe it wasn't a human that killed him," Yumi said. "Maybe that's why they left in such a hurry."

"But if they were attacked by a yokai, why is he the only one dead?" asked Inutaisho. "It seems like if a yokai attacked, it was after something specific. But what?"

"Who knows?" Rai said. "But I can tell you there is no trail leading in or out of the camp other than the one the humans left. Seems to me it would be best to catch up to them to find out what went on."

Inutaisho nodded. He wished that the humans had buried this one, so the smell of death wouldn't mask everything else. They would have been able to tell whether or not a yokai had been there for certain if the man had been buried.

All three were eager to get away from that smell, and so they traveled quickly on, following the humans' trail.

* * *

Yuki stood at the edge of the village, watching as the yokai raced towards her. He soon arrived, and knelt groveling at her feet. "My Lady, Mistress Eriko says to tell you that the town has been taken."

Yuki smiled, her brown eyes dancing with delight and madness. "Good."

She turned to Kovu, who knelt on the ground behind her. "Kovu, be a good boy and make sure the prisoners are all moved to the town, okay?"

Kovu knelt till his forehead touched the ground. "To hear is to obey." He stood and walked towards the hut where the prisoners were still kept.

Yuki turned towards the other yokai, who was still groveling on the ground. "As for you, I have a special job for you."

"I live to serve!" the creature cried.

Yuki giggled, "Yes, I know. Now, once I and the prisoners have left, I want to set fire to this entire village. Burn everything to the ground, do you understand?"

"My Lady wants fire, I make fire!"

Yuki patted its head as though it were a dog. "Good boy."

They made it to the town by sunset. Yuki ordered the prisoners locked up in another hut, and then claimed the best house in the town for herself. No sooner had she settled in, Kovu came and knelt before her, waiting to be addressed.

"Yes, Kovu?"

"There is a Western scout here, asking for permission to speak with you," he told her.

Yuki raised her eye brows. "Really? Now I'm curious. Send him in."

Kovu left and soon came back with the scout close behind him. Yuki studied him. He was a hawk yokai, feathery brown wings sported on his back. His hair was a mid length dark brown, his eyes a molten gold. He was tall and well muscled, and chiseled features, and looked to be in his mid thirties, relatively speaking of course.

Yuki smiled. Now there was a man she wouldn't mind bedding if she hadn't already sworn off yokai. She made a mental note to have a look at her new prisoners. Surely she would find one acceptable man amongst them.

The scout bowed to her. "I am Baku, scout for the West. I have a proposition for you, from my master."

"Oh? And who might your master be? It certainly isn't Sesshomaru."

A slight smile crossed Baku's face. "No, it isn't. I serve Lord Hayate, a nobleman currently under Sesshomaru."

"And he wishes to change that status," Yuki said, guessing where this conversation would lead.

"Yes," Baku said. "Lord Hayate wants to become the Lord of the West. He believes that this is the opportune time to unseat Sesshomaru."

Yuki rested her chin on her hands. "I see. I have just one last question. Does Sesshomaru trust this Hayate?"

Baku nodded. "Yes. Hayate sits high on Sesshomaru's council."

Yuki began to giggle, and her giggles grew stronger until the room was filled with her insane laughter. Finally, she stopped. "Baku, I do believe your master and I can come to an agreement."

* * *

Shippo ground his teeth in frustration. The stupid guard refused to open the city gates for them. Apparently Sesshomaru had ordered them closed, and they weren't to be opened without his express permission.

"If you can't open the gates and let us in, then go get Lord Sesshomaru and bring him here."

The guard scoffed. "Go and disturb Lord Sesshomaru for a bunch of nobodies? I think not."

Shippo wondered if it would hurt his credibility if he snuck into the city. Inuyasha and Kagome would still believe him, and if they did maybe Sesshomaru would as well.

"Look," Shippo said, trying to reign in his temper, "we have very important information for Lord Sesshomaru. If you don't let us in with our information and Lord Sesshomaru finds out, he will kill you."

The guard looked indecisive for a moment, and then his face hardened. "Tell me the information so I know if you're telling the truth or not."

Shippo's eye twitched. "The information is only for Lord Sesshomaru."

"Then I can't let you in," the guard said with a sniff.

"What's going on here?" a new voice barked.

The guard immediately came to attention. "General Hiro, sir!"

A new face appeared over the wall, this one an inu yokai with long black hair. "What do you three want?" he asked.

"We have important information for Lord Sesshomaru," Shippo told him.

"About what?" the general asked.

"About a threat to the West," Shippo said after a moment of silence.

General Hiro turned to the guard. "And you weren't going to let them in?" he asked in a deadly voice.

The unfortunate guard gulped. "I will open the gates now, sir."

The gates swung open and they found the general waiting for them. "I am General Hiro," he told them. "I will escort you to Lord Sesshomaru."

"Thank you," Shippo said, and followed as Hiro led them through the streets. "General Hiro, could you tell me if Inuyasha and Kagome are still at the palace?"

Hiro glanced at him. "You know them?"

Shippo nodded. "I am close friends with them, and they need to hear what I have to say as well."

Hiro showed no reaction to this information, though Shippo knew he was probably storing it away. "Yes, they are still at the palace."

They arrived soon after that, and Hiro led them to what looked like a council room. "If you will wait a few minutes I will send someone for Lord Sesshomaru, as well as Inuyasha and Kagome," Hiro told them.

"Could you also have someone take Masashi and Kenji to a room," Shippo asked, ignoring their protests at his words. "They're about to collapse."

Hiro nodded. "Come wit me," he ordered.

The two humans looked as though they were going to protest, but Shippo glared at them and hissed, "Go." Reluctantly, they followed Hiro as he walked away.

Shippo sighed and leaned against the wall. He was still tired, and needed a full nights sleep. But that would have to wait until after he'd given the information he had.

Shippo straightened when he heard movement in the hallway. The door opened and in walked Sesshomaru, followed closely behind by Inuyasha, Kagome, Hiro, and another inu yokai that Shippo didn't know. Probably another general.

Sesshomaru was the same imposing figure that Shippo remembered from the past, giving off the same air of being completely in control. "You claim to have information?" Sesshomaru asked coolly.

Shippo nodded. "Yes, sir. I know who is behind an attack on the West, and I know where this person is, or at least where they were three days ago."

"How did you get this information?" Sesshomaru asked.

Shippo hesitated. This wasn't how he'd wanted to tell Inuyasha and Kagome about the attack on their village. Oh well, there wasn't anything he could do about that.

"I was going to Inuyasha's village to visit with them, but when I got there it had been overrun by yokai. I managed to sneak to where the prisoners were being held and was told that the leader of this army was a human woman named Yuki, who I believe is a dark miko."

Shippo paused when he saw the flicker in Sesshomaru's eyes. So, Sesshomaru did know the woman.

"There wasn't really time for them to tell me more then, so I left bringing two of them with me. Those two told me about the attack in greater detail later."

Shippo stopped talking and waited for the next question.

"How large are her forces?" asked the yokai Shippo didn't know.

"I didn't get a good count, but I'd say at least one thousand. However, most of those seem to be pretty weak."

"Do you know what she's planning?" Sesshomaru asked.

"If you mean planning as in what's her next step, no, I don't. I do know her ultimate goal, though. She wants to completely destroy the West. From what I was told, that's it. She doesn't care about ruling, or taking over, she just wants to watch it burn."

There was silence for a moment, and Sesshomaru nodded. "You have my thanks for this information. My servants have prepared a room for you. You may stay as long as you like."

Shippo knew he was being dismissed. He bowed and left the room.

"Shippo."

Shippo turned and saw Kagome and Inuyasha had followed him out. He hadn't looked at them while delivering his news; he'd known if he had that he wouldn't have been able to keep laying out the painful facts the he'd needed to.

Kagome's face was white as a sheet, and Inuyasha's had hardness in it that Shippo hadn't seen in a long while. "Shippo, we need to talk," Kagome said.

Shippo nodded. "Yeah."

They walked down the hall until Inuyasha finally asked, "How many were left?"

"When I got there, twenty. Now? Who knows?"

Kagome let out a small cry, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Sango and Miroku?" Inuyasha asked.

"They're alive, though Sango was wounded. Their sons are alive too, except…"

"Except who?" Inuyasha asked.

"Ryou. He was killed in battle."

Inuyasha closed his eyes a moment and Shippo saw tears run down Kagome's face.

"Who did you bring with you?" Inuyasha asked his voice rather hoarse.

"Masashi and Kenji. I wanted to get Miroku and Sango, but they wouldn't let me."

"Keh. 'Course they wouldn't."

"Inuyasha, we've got to free them," Kagome said, a tremor in her voice.

"We will," Inuyasha said. "But we have to wait and see what Sesshomaru is going to do. The two of us alone won't be able to take out a thousand yokai."

Kagome nodded reluctantly. "You'd best head to bed, Shippo. We'll see you in the morning."

Shippo nodded. "Night." Somehow, it didn't seem right to add a 'good' to it.

* * *

Okay. I will have you all know that this chapter is ten pages long. Because of that, I want reviews. Understand? REVIEW!


	20. Chapter 20

Beware the Blue Screen of Death! Beware!

No, seriously, the blue screen of death sucks. Apparently I had somehow saved to much on my laptop, so it crashed. I lost EVERYTHING. That made me really mad.

Enough of my ranting though. I'm sure you all want to read the story.

Don't own Inuyasha, or the song.

* * *

Kit and Kat sat back to back leaning against each other as the morning light filtered down around them.

"It isn't fair," Kit said.

"Yeah," Kat agreed. "We should be allowed to do something."

"Why didn't Shen pick us to go with Inutaisho?" Kit asked.

"It had better not be because we're to young," Kat growled.

And they were young, barely more than children by yokai standards, but Inutaisho wasn't much older than they were.

The twins were distracted from their grumbling by the sound of Hiro's voice.

"Are you sure this is wise, Lady Kagome?"

"If I wasn't sure I wouldn't be asking this," Kagome replied.

The twins glanced at each other, curiosity piqued. By unspoken consent they carefully moved forward, though they weren't worried about being seen. Kit and Kat had always been good at stealth, and their constant pranks had helped them with that. As long as Hiro wasn't on the lookout for them, they should be okay.

They peeked around some trees and saw Hiro and Kagome walking towards the armory followed by two humans they had never seen before.

The four went inside the building and a moment later Kit and Kat followed, looking through a window.

"I'm still not sure about this," Hiro said. "Yokai made weapons are meant for yokai."

"Don't worry," Kagome told him. "Masashi and Kenji won't pick anything they can't handle."

The humans proceeded to observe the weapons. One, a rather short man with and almost feminine build and long black hair pulled into a high ponytail went straight to the swords. His grey eyes flickered over the blades until they came to rest on a certain sword. It was rather plain in appearance, nothing more than a simple katana.

He reached out for it, but an aura of red flames surrounded the sword. He paused a moment, then grasped the handle. Instantly the flames changed into a cool purple and vanished. As he settled the sword at his waist, the twins turned their attention to the other human.

This human was obviously related to the first one. Kit figured he was probably the older brother, as they looked pretty similar. Although, this one was taller, and he kept his hair cut shorter. Also, he had a more masculine build than his younger brother.

He was currently examining their selection of staves. Not too many people in Sesshomaru's army used staves however, so the selection was limited. He settled on a simple staff tipped with metal on each end. There was a similar display of auras, as there had been with the other human's weapon.

Kit and Kat glanced at each other. For humans to be able to hold yokai weapons was impressive. Yokai weapons tended to drive humans insane.

Hiro was impressed too. "Well, well," he said. "That's a surprise. But being able to hold the weapons and being able to use hem are two different things."

Kagome smiled. "Perhaps they will surprise you again."

Kit and Kat left then, thinking they had seen everything of interest.

"Those two aren't ordinary humans," Kit said.

"Definitely not," Kat agreed. "But how can we use that?"

Kit pushed back his hair out of his face. "I'm not sure yet, but I'm going to find a way."

Kat nodded in acceptance. When Kit said he was going to find a way, he usually did.

* * *

Ran sat under the tree between Masashi and Kenji, her usual happy-go-lucky mood gone. It was difficult to believe what had happened to her home.

She had been asleep when Shippo, Masashi, and Kenji had arrived the night before. So her parents had broken the news to her that morning, and Ran had been so distraught that she'd been unable to leave her room all morning. She had come out for lunch, though, wanting to see Masashi and Kenji. After eating the three of them had come out here.

"It's so frustrating!" she complained, digging her heel into the ground. "I want to do something to help them!"

"I wish we could too," Kenji said. "Just walking out of there was the hardest thing I've ever done."

"Well, there isn't anything we can do about it," Masashi said, bitterness in his voice. "It's not like we can go back."

"Why not?"

Both guys stared at her. Ran stood up and paced excitedly.

"Well, why can't we? We're full grown adults, aren't e? I mean, my parents can't force us to stay here."

"We can't because over one thousand yokai would kill use," Masashi said.

"Not if they never saw us," Ran countered.

"Even if they never saw us, what can three people do?" Kenji questioned. "We're nowhere near enough to beat Yuki's army."

"Maybe not beat, but we can frustrate," Ran said. "Or would you rather sit around here doing nothing?"

They were frowning, but Ran could tell they were considering what she had said.

"You might say that your parents can't stop us," Masashi said, "but you know just as well as I do that they can and will."

Ran scowled. That much was true. Inuyasha and Kagome would probably say she was doing something very stupid and forbid her to go, even thought she was grown. Ran could even see Inuyasha tying her up if she refused to agree.

"Then we won't tell them," she said.

"And how do you propose we sneak out of a guarded yokai palace, much less the city?" Kenji asked.

"You could just ask for help."

The three looked up to see Kit and Kat sitting in the branches above them. The twins hopped down as Ran glared at them.

"How long have you two been spying on us?"

"The whole time," Kat answered.

"Did you say you'd help us get out of here?" Masashi asked.

Kit nodded. "And we'll do better than that. We'll go with you."

"Why would you do that?" Masashi asked.

"Because we want to help too," Kat said.

"And no one will let us," Kit finished. "So we're taking matters into out own hands. So do you want our help, or what?"

* * *

Sesshomaru sat in his chair at the head of the council table. They had been in session since early that morning, and not much had been accomplished. They had all agreed that they had to attack Yuki. How to attack her was starting up some internal fights, however.

Sesshomaru had to suppress a growl when he thought of Yuki. When he'd first taken her as a lover he'd never imagined that it would end in such horrid results. If he'd known what it would be like he would never have gotten involved with her.

Sesshomaru shoved the 'ifs' aside. It did no good to regret the past, especially when he had so much to deal with in the present.

Focusing back on the conversation at hand, Sesshomaru heard Hayate say, "We must throw the might of the entire army upon them, that way we're sure to crush their forces."

Hiro shook his head. "We can't send the entire army. If we do that we'll be leaving the city unguarded. We must leave some here."

"Did you not hear the kitsune's words?" sneered Hayate as he gestured towards Shippo. The kitsune had been made to go to the council meeting so he could repeat his tale to the entire council. "The enemy's numbers are far superior to ours. We can't afford to leave any behind."

"I did listen," Hiro replied, eyes narrowing. "And I heard him say that most of the yokai are extremely weak. In a battle numbers aren't everything. Quality, not quantity. In any case it's foolishness to leave out homes completely unprotected."

"And what actions would you take, Hiro?" Sesshomaru asked.

Hiro turned away from Hayate to Sesshomaru. "If it were up to me, I would take half of the army to battle and leave the other half to protect the city."

Sesshomaru looked at the other members of his council. "And how many of you agree with him?"

There were those who opposed Hiro and sided with Hayate. However, the majority did side with Hiro, which was good. Now Sesshomaru wouldn't have the whole council angry at him for doing something they didn't like. Again.

"Then it's settled. Shen, Hiro, you two will make sure the army is ready to move out at dawn tomorrow."

That said, Sesshomaru stood and walked out of the room, effectively ending the meeting. Sesshomaru moved quickly down the halls heading towards his rooms. He wanted a few moments of peace before going to dinner.

He entered his room and leaned against the door with a small sigh. It was nice to escape from prying eyes, if only for a while.

A movement caught his eye, and Sesshomaru saw Lilianna brushing her hair in preparation for dinner. She didn't greet him with a gentle smile as she normally would have, and Sesshomaru understood that she was still angry with him.

The reason for her anger was that she blamed him for everything. When he'd told her that Yuki was behind the attack she had been furious.

"It's your fault Sierra was cursed, your fault she ran away, and your fault the West is under attack!" she'd yelled.

Sesshomaru had said nothing in his defense. What could he say? She was right, these things were his fault.

Still, for her to have said it in such a manner had hurt, though he'd never admit it to anyone.

_This is why I never wanted to fall in love,_ he thought darkly. _If I didn't love her, her words would not matter._

He didn't speak to her as he moved to his closet. He wished he had time for a bath, which would really help relieve the stress he felt. Instead he changed clothes and went to see if Lilianna was ready. He saw at a glance that she was. They walked in silence to the dinning hall.

When they got there he was surprised to see that Kit and Kat were not in their seats. He glanced around and saw that Ran, Masashi, and Kenji were also missing. A flicker of unease went through him, but he ignored it. Now was not the time. Once dinner was over he'd see what was going on.

The meal eventually ended and everyone went their separate ways. Sesshomaru went to Kit's room first, and found no one in there. He went to Kat's room and found it empty as well.

_What's going on?_

It didn't take much more searching on Sesshomaru's part to figure out they weren't in the palace grounds.

As he stood on the steps leading up to the palace doors, Inuyasha came out. His clenched fists and narrowed eyes showed that he was upset.

"Ran, Masashi, and Kenji are missing," he spat out.

"So are Kit and Kat. I think if we find one group, we'll find the other."

Inuyasha nodded. "But where'd they go?"

"To our village."

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha turned to see Isamu standing in the doorway, a note in her hand.

"Ran left me a note. She says, 'Going home, tell Mom and Dad not to worry. Love, Ran'."

Sesshomaru growled. The five of them had gone after Yuki alone? Those pups were dead when he got his claws on them.

* * *

Sierra was happy to be sitting down. Cooking was much harder than she had expected. She had gotten her first lesson the night before, and another one this morning. It was hot and hard work but Sierra found that she enjoyed it more than washing dishes afterwards. Also, Sierra thought that cooking for a smaller group would be more enjoyable. Things wouldn't be quite so hard to stir.

"Good morning, Sierra!"

Sierra smiled as Little Blue sat by her, a bowl of food in her hands. "Good morning, Little Blue."

"I'm glad we're not traveling today," Little Blue said. "I was ready for a break.

Sierra chuckled. "You don't like traveling every day?"

Little Blue shrugged. "Oh, it's okay. But I'd really rather stay in one spot, at least for a while."

"Why do you and Seth travel with the Troupe? I thought dragon yokai normally stayed with clans in the mountains."

"Normally we do," Seth said from behind Sierra, making her jump. She hadn't heard him coming.

"I left my clan before Little Blue was hatched," Seth continued sitting by Little Blue.

"Oh," Sierra said. She didn't want to intrude on what could possibly be a sensitive subject. She grasped the first thing she could think of to change the topic. "Hatched?"

"Dragon yokai are born from eggs," Seth informed her.

"I see," Sierra said. Of course, this conversation brought new questions to Sierra's mind. Like, who was Little Blue's mother, and what had happened to her.

Sierra wasn't sure it was okay to ask those questions though, especially in front of Little Blue.

"Sierra, will you play with me?"

Sierra couldn't help but smile at Little Blue's hopeful look. "Of course I will."

Little Blue turned to Seth. "Daddy, will you play with me too?"

Seth ruffled her blue curls. "Sure, Little Blue."

"Okay, let's go!" Little Blue grasped their hands and pulled them to their feet. They followed her till they were clear of the wagons.

"Hm, what should we play?" Little Blue wondered. "Oh, I know! Let's play tag!"

"Tag?" Sierra asked. "I'm not so sure about that. After all, I'm at a big disadvantage compared to you and you Daddy."

Little Blue frowned. "Oh, right. Let me think. We could play hair styling. Sierra will do my hair and Daddy will do Sierra's."

Sierra glanced over at Seth, wondering if it would bother him to play a girl's game. He didn't look bothered.

_He must have had to do Little Blue's hair a lot._

"I'll go grab some combs," Little Blue said dashing off.

Seth sat on the ground and Sierra sat by him. "So, you style girls' hair a lot?" Sierra asked playfully.

Seth chuckled. "More than you might think. I never did until Little Blue came along, but apparently I have a 'natural talent' for it, or so people tell me. Now whenever the Troupe has something special going on all the women want me to do their hair."

Sierra had a mental image of Seth surrounded by a bunch of women doing their hair and giving fashion advice. Unable to help herself, Sierra began laughing at the image.

"You know, it isn't a good idea to laugh at the person who'd going to be doing you hair soon," Seth said with a mock scowl.

Little Blue arrived then. "Okay, I got the stuff." She set several combs and ribbons down, along with a small mirror. "Let's start!"

She sat in front of Sierra and Seth moved so he was sitting behind Sierra. Sierra began working a comb through Little Blue's curls, wondering what sort of hairstyle would be best.

Sierra tried to think of something, but found her thinking was somewhat impaired by the distracting feel of Seth running a comb through her hair.

_Ignore it, Sierra,_ she ordered herself._ You've got to come up with a hair style Little Blue will like._

Still, feeling the comb and his fingers sliding oh so gently through her hair was difficult to ignore.

Sierra cast her eyes over the ribbons Little Blue had brought, searching for inspiration. Seeing two matching pink ribbons, she got an idea. Sierra reached for the ribbons only to be pulled back by a tug on her hair.

"Don't move," Seth ordered.

Sierra sighed. "Little Blue, can you grab those pink ribbons for me?"

"Okay," Little Blue said jumping up. She gave Sierra the ribbons and asked, "So, what are you planning to do?"

"That's supposed to be a surprise," Sierra said.

Little Blue pouted. "But I want to know!"

"You'll know when I'm done and not before. Now turn around."

As Little Blue complied, Sierra realized she had just sounded a lot like her own Mother.

_That's just a bit weird. Although, Little Blue does need a mother figure in her life._

Sierra shook her head to get rid of that line of thought and received a sharp yank on her hair for the trouble.

"I thought I told you not to move," Seth said.

"Sorry," Sierra replied. She began brushing Little Blue's hair again; glad Seth couldn't see her red face.

Sierra couldn't believe what she'd been thinking. After all, for her to be Little Blue's mother, she'd have to be Seth's wife. The idea that Seth might consider her for such a thing was preposterous, and anyways Sierra didn't know him well enough to consider him for her husband yet.

_Wait, why was there a 'yet' there? There's not supposed to be any 'yet'!"_

Sierra shoved the thoughts aside. She'd deal with those later. Right now she needed to concentrate on Little Blue's hair.

Setting the comb down Sierra scooped up the top layer of Little Blue's hair, leaving the bottom layer to hang. She tied the top layer up using one of the ribbons. Then she braided it and tied the bottom with the other ribbon.

"I'm done."

Little Blue hopped up and picked up a small mirror she had brought with the hair supplies. She smiled brightly at her reflection.

"It's so cute! I love it M-Sierra."

Sierra smiled, though she felt slightly confused by Little Blue's slipup with her name. What had she been about to call her? "I'm glad you like it."

"Are you almost done, Daddy?"

"Almost," Seth replied.

Sierra wondered what set haws doing to her hair. She wanted to ask him, but after refusing to tell Little Blue, she felt she couldn't ask.

She could feel Seth arranging her hair and waited, somewhat impatiently, for him to finish.

"I'm finished," he said finally.

"Oh, you look so pretty!" Little Blue said.

Sierra glanced at Seth with a smile. "So you didn't ruin my hair for laughing at you after all."

He smiled back. "I thought I'd have mercy on you, since it was your first offence."

"Look, look, Sierra," Little Blue said holding up the mirror.

Sierra looked and was impressed with what she saw. Seth had pulled some of her hair up in a bun with a braid wrapped around the base and hanging down her back. The braid was held in place by a comb that looked like it had delicate pink flowers growing from it. The rest of her hair simply fell down her back.

"It's lovely," she said.

Seth seemed pleased. "Your hair is easy to work with. Though I must admit, I've never seen a human with that hair color before."

Sierra glanced away, not certain what to say. She'd never seen another human with silvery white hair like hers either. However, it wasn't too uncommon amongst yokai.

She looked back with a smile she hoped didn't look forced. "I guess I'm just weird that way."

Little Blue wrapped her arms around Seth's neck and said, "Daddy isn't my hair pretty too?"

Seth smiled tenderly at Little Blue and hugged her. "Of course it is little one."

Sierra felt an unexpected pang in her chest. How many times had she wished that Sesshomaru would hold her like that? How many times had she longed for just half the affection that Seth gave Little Blue so freely?

Tears filled her eyes, causing Sierra to panic slightly. She didn't want to cry. She shouldn't cry, she was way too old for tears.

Her emotions roiling and blind to her surroundings, Sierra stumbled to her feet and ran.

* * *

Seth looked up in surprise as Sierra rushed off. What was wrong with her?

He felt Little Blue pull away from him to go after Sierra, but he pulled her back.

"Stay here, Little Blue," he said standing.

"What's wrong with Sierra?" Little Blue asked him.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Just stay here, okay?"

Little Blue nodded, and Seth quickly followed Sierra. He found her in a small copse of woods where she leaned against a tree, her back to him. He could see her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

Seth frowned as he silently moved forward. What had upset her so badly?  
He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and Sierra whiled around to face him, her blue eyes wide and alarmed.

"Oh, Seth," she said trying to wipe away the tears on her face only to have them replaced by more. "I'm sorry, I…I shouldn't be crying like this, I…it's so stupid."

Her voice was overcome with sobs, and Seth was uncertain how to comfort her when he didn't even know why she was crying. Finally he pulled her close in a hug, wrapping one arm around her waist and using his free hand to rub circles on her back. It usually helped to calm down Little Blue when she was upset.

It seemed to work with Sierra too. Her sobs quieted some, though she was still crying.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, though Seth saw no reason for her to apologize. "I shouldn't be crying, I'm much too old for it."

Seth stared at the top of her bowed head. What fool had told her that? Seth gently caught her chin and tipped her head up so she was looking at him.

"No one is too old to cry. A person who cannot cry is broken, no matter how strong they may seem."

Her eyes widened, and Seth got the feeling that what he said went directly against what she had been taught. If so, he thought he might be able to figure out what had caused her tears.

Seth scooped Sierra up earning a small 'eep' from her. Seth found the sound rather cute, and he thought he'd have to make her say it more often. He sat down and settled Sierra in his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist to pin her there.

Sierra looked up at him, red staining her cheeks. Seth decided that blushing became Sierra.

"Now then," Seth said, "Are you going to tell me what upset you so much?"

Instantly Sierra's eyes were veiled and she looked away. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Some problems won't get better unless you talk to someone."

She glared at him. "And why exactly does that someone have to be you? It might be a girl problem that I should talk to Sakura about."

Why, indeed. Seth wasn't quite sure. After all, she had stopped crying. Shouldn't he be content with that?

Perhaps he should content, but he wasn't. Seth wanted to know why she had started crying in the first place. He wanted to be the one to help her solve her problem, whatever it may be.

_Why this sudden possessiveness?_

"I want you to trust me more than you trust Sakura."

Her glare melted away, and she looked confused and embarrassed. She didn't seem to know what to make of his statement.

"So, are you going to tell me?"

Sierra looked like she was about to capitulate, but she shook her head no.

Seth shrugged. "Fine. I can sit here all day."

Sierra stared at him. "You can't be serious."

"I'm perfectly serious."

Sierra and leaned her head against his chest in defeat. "Okay, I'll tell you."

Seth was pleased, and waited in silence for her to continue.

"I cried because…because I wanted with my father what Little Blue has with you," Sierra finished in a rush.

Seth frowned. He'd had a feeling that was it.

"I always…always wanted his love, but…I was never able to earn it…I was never good enough for him."

Seth's frown deepened. He didn't like the broken tone in her voice.

"He couldn't love me…and it was my fault."

"It was not," Seth said fiercely, causing Sierra to look up. "It was absolutely not your fault. A child should never have to earn their parents' love. A parent's love is to be given freely."

Sierra shook her head. "No, you don't I was a mistake. I wasn't what I was supposed to be."

"So what?"

Sierra looked shocked. Seth continued before she could speak.

"What people think you're supposed to be is irrelevant. Your father should have been able to love you for whom and what you are. If he can't he doesn't deserve to be your father."

Sierra seemed floored. It had obviously never occurred to her that her father might be in the wrong.

Anger stirred through Seth. It seemed like Sierra had put this man on a pedestal he didn't deserve. How she could have done so when it was obvious he didn't treat her right was beyond Seth.

"No, my Father I a good person," Sierra said.

'Is'. That meant he was still alive.

"Then why'd you run away from him?"

Her eyes widened and Seth knew he'd guessed right.

"I ran away because my presence was a problem for him. He would never have sent me away, I know that. But it made things so much harder for him, so I left."

Seth held her close. "Sierra, I'm a father too. I know what I'm talking about. You deserve to be loved, and if he couldn't love you he was wrong."

Seth felt something wet on his chest and saw that Sierra was crying again.

"Sorry," she said again.

"You don't need to apologize."

She didn't say anything, and Seth was content to simply hold her. In the silence he let his eyes wander over her, thinking about the new feelings she was unintentionally arousing in him. She sparked emotions no other woman ever had.

_I guess this settles it. She is going to be my mate._

A human would probably be shocked by his quick decision. However, Seth was a dragon yokai, and dragon yokai always made quick decisions. As a matter of fact, the longest dragon yokai courtship that Seth knew of had lasted two weeks.

With dragon yokai, it was simple. You were right, or you weren't. There was no 'maybe we can work this out' or 'we'll wait and see how this goes'. It was yes, or no.

When it came to Sierra, Seth had decided yes.

By this time Sierra had stopped crying and was simply leaning against him. "Feel any better?" he asked her.

She looked up at him. "I'm not sure. I feel confused. I guess…I guess you've given me a lot to think about."

Seth used his thumb to wipe away the tear tracks on her face. "If you ever need to talk again, I'll listen."

Sierra nodded. "I know. We should probably be heading back to Little Blue though."

That was definitely a good idea. Little Blue was probably worried sick about what had happened. Seth let Sierra up and the two walked back to where Little Blue was.

As soon as she saw them Little Blue ran forward and threw her arms around Sierra's waist. "Are you okay Sierra?"

Sierra smiled and hugged Little Blue. "I'm alright Little Blue. I'm sorry for worrying you."

Little Blue looked up at her. "You're really okay?"

Sierra nodded. "I'm really okay."

Relief flooded Little Blue's face. "I'm glad, M-Sierra."

_That's the second time she almost slipped up._

Seth wondered it Sierra knew what Little Blue was so close to saying. Seth knew very well that the word she was trying not t say was mommy, but he doubted that Sierra had figured it out yet. If Little Blue kept slipping up, though, she probably would.

Would that be a bad thing? Seth wasn't sure yet.

"I know how you can make up for worrying me," said Little Blue.

Sierra raised her eyebrows. "Oh? And how is that?"

"By singing me a song."

Sierra laughed. "Very well then. Give me a moment to think."

Seth sat down and found he was looking forward to hearing Sierra sing. He wasn't disappointed.

"Flow'rs of the forest

Are bright in the spring,

Wake with the dawn

Hear a lone skylark sing.

Brooks gaily babble

O'er hillsides so green,

Streams ripple secrets

Of what they have seen,

Small birds give voice

Mid the leaves of great trees,

Which rustle softly

In time with the breeze,

And sing just for you, love,

The song of the earth."

When Sierra finished singing, Seth and Little Blue clapped appreciatively. So did someone else. The trio turned to see Richard grinning broadly.

"Sierra, lass, you've the voice of an angel!"

Sierra smiled. "Thank you, Richard, though I'm not sure I'm really that good."

"You're too modest," Richard exclaimed. "you've a beautiful voice, an' you're perfect for taken' over the part of Belle."

Sierra's eyes widened. "Belle?"

"Aye, Belle. You'll be Ai's replacement. But we've got to start working now. Come along lass."

Sierra looked as though she were going to protest, but Seth said, "Oh go on, Sierra. You'll never get the idea out of his head unless you at least try."

Sierra laughed resignedly. "Well, I guess it can't hurt."

"What's the hold up lass?"

"Coming, Richard," Sierra called. With a wave she went after him.

"So," Little Blue said moving to sit by Seth. "Have you decided whether or not she can be my mommy?"

Seth smiled. "Yes, Little Blue, I think she would make a good mommy for you."

Little Blue let out a happy shriek and jumped on Seth, knocking him over.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Seth sat up laughing. "You're welcome, Little Blue"

"So, when is she going to be my mommy?"

Seth frowned. "I'm not sure. It takes humans a while to make these decisions."

Little Blue looked troubled. "Do you think she won't want to be my mommy?"

"I don't think it will be hard to convince her to be your mommy. What might be difficult is convincing her to be my mate."

"Why wouldn't' she want to be your mate?"

Seth didn't think Little Blue was quite ready for the intricacies of human courtship. Not that Seth really understood everything it involved.

"It's an adult thing," he said in order to avoid a possibly awkward conversation.

"Adults are weird."

Seth chuckled. "Yes, we are."

"But I hope she says yes. I really want a mommy."

Seth's smile slipped away. Had it been very difficult for Little Blue to not have a mother? His own mom had been such a big part of his life that Seth couldn't imagine growing up without her.

Seth pulled Little Blue into a hug. "I hope she says yes too."

* * *

Inutaisho studied the camp of humans. They were definitely bandits, a fact that made him fear for Sierra's safety. He, Rai, and Yumi had circled the camp but seen no sign of Sierra. If she was there, she was in one of the tents.

"What do we do now?" Rai whispered.

Inutaisho counted quickly. There were only ten humans, and they weren't prepared for an attack.

"Subdue them, but don't kill them yet. If Sierra isn't here we'll need to get information from them.

Yumi, you attack from the right, Rai from the left. You have one minute to get in position."

The two moved away like silent shadows, and Inutaisho began to count down in his head. When the minute was up, he struck. Two of the bandits were down before they even fully realized he was there. Alarmed shouts went up in the camp as Yumi and Rai appeared. It took only moments for all the bandits to be knocked out.

"Tie them up," Inutaisho ordered. He went to the tents to search, but Sierra was no where to be found.

He did however find her bag in the leader's tent. He tied the strap of the bag to his belt to leave his hands free and walked back outside. The bandits were tied, and some were beginning to wake up. That was good. He needed to ask some questions.

Studying the men, Inutaisho picked the one he thought was the leader, a cruel looking man with hard eyes. Inutaisho stood in front of the man, gaining his attention.

"Are you the leader?"

"I am."

"You had a girl with white hair recently. Where is she?"

The man glared. It seemed he was going be foolishly defiant. "Why should I tell you?"

Inutaisho crouched down so he was on eye level with the bandit and when he spoke his voice was eerily calm and quiet. "Because I only need one of you alive to give me the information I want."

The man continued to glare contemptuously at Inutaisho.

_The fool will keep quiet just to spite me._

Inutaisho glanced around as he stood. Even though their leader wasn't shaken, the rest of the bandits seemed scared. Inutaisho picked the one that seemed the most afraid and moved towards him.

"Very well, I'll start with this one." As he spoke he raised his hand and let it be surrounded by the sickly green glow of his poison.

"No, no, don't hurt me, please!" the bandit begged.

Inutaisho hid his smirk as he lowered his hand. "Where is the girl?"

"She got away from us, or rather, she was taken away."

"By who?"

The bandit swallowed. "By a dragon yokai. Dai had caught a dragon yokai child, but the father came for her. He killed Dai and knocked the rest of us out. When we woke up all three were gone."

"Thank you," Inutaisho said. Then his claws slashed out across the bandit's throat, killing him instantly. The only mercy Inutaisho had for the bandits who had dared to kidnap his baby sister was a quick death and that only because he could not spare the time.

"So she was rescued by a dragon yokai," Yumi said after the bandits had been taken care of. "That's a stroke of luck."

"Maybe not," Rai said. "The dragon yokai was flying, that's why there was no trail at the last camp. How are we supposed to find Sierra if there is no trail to follow?"

"Dragon yokai live in clans in the mountains," Inutaisho said. "If we go to the mountain we'll likely find the clan that rescued her. Even if it isn't the right clan, they should agree to help us discover what clan it was."

Inutaisho turned to face the mountains. If we push on through the night we'll make it by morning."

"Then let's go get her," Rai said.

With that the three went off towards the mountains, and they hoped, Sierra.

* * *

My fingers hurt after typing this. They really did.

But enough about my physical pain. I have a question to ask you all. Do you think the whole Seth picking Sierra to be his mate thing was rushed? That's one of the things that worries me about this fic is that I might rush something to much. It's not supposed to be rushed. But, Seth is a dragon yokai and that's just how they do it. They are very desicive, and posessive with the whole treasure thing.

I don't know. Tell me in a review? Please?


	21. Chapter 21

So, I completely meant to get this up on Saturday as a Valantine's Day special, but that obviously didn't happen. What can I say? I am easily distracted.

But I don't want to hear any complaints! Why? 'Cause this chapter is twenty pages long! That's right, twenty. Okay, nineteen, but it was real close to being twenty! I swear, this story is alive! Alive!

Anywho, don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Inutaisho stretched as the sun moved slowly over head. They had run all night and were now at the mountains.

"Where are we supposed to look for a dragon clan?" Yumi asked.

Inutaisho glanced around. Yumi's question was a good one. Where were they supposed to look?

"We could start where that smoke is coming from," Rai said pointing.

Inutaisho looked where Rai was pointing to a column of smoke drifting in the air. "Seems reasonable to me."

As they walked Inutaisho tried to reason out what might be causing the fire. There wasn't enough smoke for it to be a building or town that was on fire, but it was to much to be a simple camp or cooking fire.

_A bonfire, maybe? But why?_

When they were perhaps half a mile away from the smoke a voice called out, "Halt!"

The three stopped and two dragon warriors appeared. Both were tall with light wings, hair, and scales, though one was definitely older than the other.

_Probably father and son._

The older one stepped forward and spoke. "Who dares to trespass on the lands of the Sky King clan?"

Inutaisho carefully kept his face blank. The Sky King clan! They were the most powerful dragon clan in all the North. If the North had had an official Lord, most likely it would be the leader of the Sky King clan.

Inutaisho stepped in front of the others and nodded respectfully to the warriors. "I am Inutaisho, eldest son of Sesshomaru, Lord of the West. I and my companions have come to the North on Lord Sesshomaru's orders. We would request a meeting with your clan leader."

The warrior nodded. "Very well. Follow me and we shall see if Gohen will speak with you."

Inutaisho knew he would. After what he had said there was no way their leader, Gohen, could refuse to see Inutaisho without directly insulting Sesshomaru. Strong as the Sky Kings were, insulting Sesshomaru was something they would want to avoid.

The warriors led them up a narrow trail that forced them to walk single file. The mountain walls grew close together just up ahead, forming a narrow entrance. However, looking up Inutaisho could see several dragon yokai flying about. For creatures that could fly, this was and easily defensible position.

They slipped through the gap and were greeted by a long narrow valley. Buildings were scattered throughout the valley, but more were carved into the sides of the mountains.

The older warrior said something to the younger, and he flew off.

_Probably going to tell Gohen we're here,_ Inutaisho thought.

Glancing about, Inutaisho finally found the source of that column of smoke. Small streams of smoke came from many of the buildings, and they were pulled up by a wind that combined them all in the middle. It probably made flying easier for them to not have to dodge dozens of small streams of smoke.

As they walked through the valley Inutaisho let his gaze wander to the people, only to yank it straight ahead once more. He'd forgotten that neither male nor female dragon yokai wore shirts usually. It was true that modesty in general wasn't a big deal to most yokai, but still, this was a bit much.

He was relieved when they made it to the end of the valley and went inside a building. Inutaisho wasn't looking forward to leaving.

They were taken into a large meeting room that had a low table in the middle and large cushions to sit on. Because of their wings and tails dragon yokai didn't care for chairs with backs to them.

Standing by the table was a dragon yokai that stood head and shoulders above the rest of them. Hs hair, wings, and tail were a steel color, and his eyes dark blue. His commanding presence reminded Inutaisho of the mountains that surrounded them.

By his side stood a woman, her willowy frame a contrast to his bulk. Her hair was shoulder length and a silvery blue color that was matched by her tail and wings. Her expression was both gentle and curious.

Inutaisho was happy to note that she was wearing a shirt, most likely for the comfort of their guests.

"I am Gohen the Strong," the man said, his voice reminiscent of two boulders crashing together. "This is my mate, Anora. How might I help you, Inutaisho, son of Sesshomaru?"

Inutaisho bowed before speaking, partly out of respect and partly to gain time to put his thoughts in order. "I thank you for hearing my request. My companions and I are searching for a human girl who has come to the North. While tracking her we found that she had been captured by bandits. When we caught up with the bandits they told us she had already been taken by a dragon yokai. We were wondering if you perhaps knew who it was that had rescued her, and where she might be now."

"That sounds like an interesting story," Gohen said. "I would very much like to hear it in full. Have a seat!"

Inutaisho masked his frustration. He had purposely left out details because he doubted that Sesshomaru wanted every nation to know that his daughter had run away. But it seemed he had no choice but to tell Gohen everything. After all, Inutaisho didn't know whether or not Gohen knew where Sierra was, and if he didn't satisfy Gohen's curiosity, he might not help at all.

"Now then, who is this girl, and why are you searching for her?" Gohen asked.

"She is my younger sister, the Princess Sierra. She ran away from home some nights ago."

Gohen looked mildly surprised. "And why'd she do that?"

"Gohen," Anora said, "that's not our business."

"I'll not return a girl to a home she shouldn't be in," Gohen said.

Inutaisho bristled at the implication that they had been mistreating Sierra. His parents had done everything in their power to make certain that Sierra was well cared for.

"I can honestly say I don't know why she left. To my knowledge there was no reason for her to leave. I know she and my Father had an argument, but I do not know what it was about."

Gohen looked thoughtful. "I see." After a few moments of silence he nodded. "Very well, I shall do what I can to help you. Unfortunately, you sister is not here. None of my warriors have rescued anyone from bandits of late."

"Is there another clan nearby that would have rescued her?"

Gohen shook his head. "No. The nearest clan is two days flight deeper into the mountains."

Anora's pale blue eyes widened. "If another clan didn't rescue her, then that means…"

Gohen nodded. "There is only one dragon yokai I know of at the moment that lives separate from any clan. My eldest son, Seth."

"You think he might have rescued Sierra?"

"It does sound like Seth," Anora said. "He has a habit of rescuing people, animals, inanimate objects, pretty much anything, or anyone."

"Might I ask why he lives separate from the clan?" Inutaisho wanted to know if he would pose a threat to Sierra.

"Your sister is in no danger," Gohen said, guessing Inutaisho's thoughts. "Seth was not exiled for any reason. He and I had several violent disagreements and Seth left twelve years ago now."

Inutaisho nodded. He remembered this practice now. Male dragon yokai all tended to be very stubborn and opinionated, which often led to fights. Amongst family units the father was usually the victor, and if the son refused to accept that he would leave the clan for a time. However, he would always eventually return.

"Do you know where we might find him?" Inutaisho asked.

"I don't, but I know who will."

Gohen stood and walked to a doorway at the back of the room. Opening the door, he yelled, "Mohkem!"

Inutaisho winced, wishing Gohen had been a bit quieter. His ears were ringing.

A few moments later a young man came in. He was slightly shorter than Gohen, and not quite as broad. His hair, wings, and tail were steel colored like Gohen's, but his eyes were the same pale blue as Anora's.

"You called," he said dryly.

"Mohkem, this is Inutaisho. He needs to find his sister who we think might be with Seth. You will lead them to him."

Mohkem sighed. "Since you have requested my help so graciously, how can I refuse?"

Gohen's hand shot out to whack Mohkem on the head, but Mohkem ducked with ease. It seemed to be something that Mohkem was used to happening.

"When would you like to leave?" Mohkem asked Inutaisho.

"As soon as you are ready," Inutaisho replied.

"That will be too soon," Anora said. "You three need time to rest. You can leave in the morning."

Inutaisho opened his mouth to argue, but Anora made the words freeze in his throat with one look. "I insist."

Inutaisho swallowed. "We would be happy to accept your hospitality."

Anora looked pleased. "Good. Mohkem, take them somewhere they can get food."

Mohkem nodded. "Yes, Mom."

They followed Mohkem out into the hall. Mohkem glanced back at Inutaisho with a grin. "Don't feel bad. Not many people can act contrary to my mom's wishes."

"I'd be surprised if anyone could," Inutaisho said.

Mohkem chuckled, and then glanced at Yumi and Rai. "I the way, I never heard your names."

"I am Rai, and she is Yumi," Rai said.

"Nice to meet you," Mohkem said. "Here we are the kitchens. You three might want to stand back."

Confused, the three nevertheless obliged. Mohkem opened the door and said, "Mistress Cookie, please-" Mohkem yanked his head out of the room, and Inutaisho heard the sound of metal piercing wood.

"How dare you come near my kitchens, you thief!" an angry woman's voice shouted.

"I'm here under Mom's orders," Mohkem called through a crack in the door. "I have guests that need to be fed!"

"Ha! Like I'll believe anything you say, pie-thief!"

"If you don't believe me come out here and see for yourself, Cookie."

The door was yanked open and Mohkem jumped back. Standing in the doorway was a robust woman with short cropped light blue hair, wings, and tail, fierce jade eyes, and a meat cleaver in her right hand.

Inutaisho found it difficult not to stare at her chest area, as she was very well endowed. Yumi hitting him upside the head did help, though she did it a bit harder than necessary. He glanced at Rai and saw him rubbing the back on his head. As he and Yumi were unofficially engaged, she'd probably hit him extra hard.

The woman was looked the three of them over. "Hmph, seems you were telling the truth for once."

Mohkem looked injured. "Cookie, I always tell the truth."

"Yes, and skunks smell sweet."

Mohkem grinned. "No creature smells sweeter." Mohkem glanced at the other three. "This is Cookie, the most wonderful cook ever. Cookie, this is Inutaisho, Rai, and Yumi."

Cookie turned to face them straight on, and Inutaisho had to swallow before he could speak. "It is an honor to meet you ma'am."

Cookie smiled. "A young man with manners, now that's a rare thing."

Inutaisho returned her smile, making a conscious effort to look her in the eye.

"Come on in," Cookie said. She pointed the meat cleaver at Mohkem. "If you touch anything, you will lose your hand."

Mohkem held up his hands in surrender. "I shall be on my best behavior."

They followed Cookie into the kitchen and Inutaisho was slightly distressed to see that many of the kitchen workers were female. He'd have to eat very quickly.

"Have a seat," Cookie said pointing to a table near the back of the room.

They sat while Cookie bustled about the kitchen and brought them plates of food. As she leaned over the table to set the plates down, Inutaisho's eyes began to lower till a sharp kick from Yumi brought them back up.

"Enjoy," Cookie told them before she walked away.

Inutaisho concentrated on the food to avoid looking around. It was very good. The palace cooks could learn a few things from Cookie.

They soon finished the food and Mohkem said, "Come on, I'm not sure how many more of Cookie's glares I can survive."

They left the kitchens quickly, to Inutaisho's relief. "So, what would you like to do now," Mohkem asked. "Would you like a tour of the valley?"

"No, thank you," Inutaisho said quickly. He saw the twinkle in Mohkem's eyes and realized Mohkem had known exactly what his answer would be, and why.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to know where the baths are," Yumi said.

"Of course," Mohkem said. "Right this way."

Inutaisho was slightly upset that the way to the baths led outside. However, since he was concentrating on following Mohkem, ignoring the women was a bit easier.

Mohkem led them to two buildings. "The one on the left is for women, the one on the right for men."

Yumi went into the building Mohkem had indicated. Mohkem looked at Rai and Inutaisho. "What about you two?"

They glanced at each other and Rai shrugged. "We might as well."

The three walked into the building. The first area was a changing room where they undressed. They walked out the changing room to find themselves outside by a pool of steaming water, the whole area enclosed by high grown bushes.

They got into the water and Inutaisho couldn't deny the sense of relief he felt as the warm water closed around him. The three sat in companionable silence until Mohkem spoke up.

"Just so you know, the women's bath is just on the other side of the those bushes."

Rai looked thoughtful, so Inutaisho said, "Don't. Yumi would kill you."

"Especially since I can hear everything you're saying," Yumi's voice called from behind the bushes.

Rai looked slightly disappointed, but didn't move.

"Mohkem," Inutaisho said, "how is it you know where Seth is?"

"We're twins, hatched from the same egg. Because of that we have a sort of mind link. I know where he is, he know where I am. We can also sense things about each other, almost to the point of hearing each others thoughts."

Inutaisho wondered if Kit and Kat had a similar link. It would explain a few things.

"If the two of you hatched from the same egg at the same time, how'd they decide that Seth was older?" Rai asked.

"He crawled out of the egg first."

"Ah."

"How far from here is he?" Inutaisho asked.

"About a day's flight. Walking though, I'd say two, maybe two and a half days."

Inutaisho felt a thrill of excitement. He was close, so close to Sierra. If she had stayed with him.

Inutaisho didn't know whether or not he wanted Sierra to have stayed with him. He didn't overly care for the idea of Sierra staying alone with a man.

"Do you think she's still with him?" Inutaisho asked Mohkem. If their bond was as strong as Mohkem said, he should know.

A strange smile crossed Mohkem's face. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that she's still with him."

Inutaisho's eyes narrowed. "What are you not telling me?"

The smile was instantly replaced by a look of innocence. "Nothing, of course."

His glare intensified. "You are hiding something that has to do with my little sister. That is the quickest way to get me to try and kill you."

Mohkem raised an eyebrow. "I'm over 200 years old and you aren't even fifty yet. Do you really think you can kill me?"

"I might not kill you, but I could maim you for life."

Mohkem frowned, apparently trying to decide how serious Inutaisho was. "Look, it's not really a big deal."

"Then why won't you tell me?"

"Should we bring your mother in on this?" Yumi asked. "I'm sure she'd love to know you were hiding something about Sierra that obviously has something to do with Seth."

Mohkem paled. Yumi had picked the right threat it seemed. "Okay, I'll tell you. Just try not to freak out."

Inutaisho sat back waiting for Mohkem to continue. "I'm sure she's still with him because I think he picked her to be his mate."

"He what!?!"

"Now, you see, that's freaking out."

Inutaisho stormed back into the changing room and began to dress. "We're leaving, now!" he ordered. There was no way he'd let Sierra become the mate of a yokai he'd never met.

Mohkem and Rai had followed him. "I thought we were waiting till tomorrow."

"Of course we're not waiting! I'm not leaving my sister with him!"

Mohkem sighed. "All I'm asking is that you stop and think a moment."

"There's nothing to think about," Inutaisho said, heading for the door. However, a blast of wind hit him and pinned him to the wall, immobile.

Mohkem walked in front of him. "There's plenty to think about. First off, you sister is in no danger. After all, if Seth's chosen her for his mate he will defend her to the death, and there's not much that can kill an angry dragon yokai."

"But who will protect Sierra from him?" Inutaisho snarled.

"Seth will. I've never met anyone with a greater will power than Seth. No matter what he wants he will never force Sierra to be his mate. He would sooner harm himself than her. The only way he'll mark her is if she agrees, and I doubt that will happen within the next three days, unless of course your sister is extremely impulsive."

No, Sierra hadn't ever shown signs of being impulsive, well, other than running away, but Inutaisho wasn't reassured. After all, Sierra had never experienced romantic attentions from anyone, and Inutaisho wasn't sure how she'd stand up to it.

Still, it was unlikely she'd make a decision in three days.

"Are you calm now?" Mohkem asked.

"Yes."

"You aren't going to run off the instant I let you down are you?"

"No, I'm not."

The wind disappeared and Inutaisho took a few steps away from the wall. "Want to finish the bath now?" Mohkem asked.

Inutaisho sighed and nodded. The three went back to the bath, and Inutaisho's ears let him know Yumi hadn't left hers. He found he couldn't enjoy the bath anymore though, so he washed quickly and got out.

As he dressed in the changing room he heard Mohkem call, "Where are you going, Inutaisho?"

Inutaisho walked back to the bath. "Your house I guess. I'd like to find a place to sleep."

Mohkem nodded. "Okay. Just ask anyone you meet there where an empty bedroom is."

Inutaisho nodded and left. He found that with his thoughts focused on Sierra he barely noticed the women he passed.

Despite Mohkem's assurances he still worried about Sierra. The idea of her mating was unthinkable to him. Sixteen seemed so young.

_But I'm thinking on a yokai timeline. There are humans younger than Sierra that mate._

It was still strange to think of. It meant that, in a way, Sierra was older than Inutaisho, who wouldn't be thinking of mating for at least another thirty or so years, probably longer.

_But she's still my baby sister, and I still hate the thought of her getting a mate._

By this time he had made it to Gohen's home. Inutaisho glanced around. He wasn't sure which way to go.

"Lost?"

Inutaisho turned and saw Anora smiling at him. He smiled in response. "A bit. I was wondering where a room I could sleep in was."

"I'll show you," Anora said. "Where are the others?"

"Mohkem, Rai, and Yumi are at the baths."

"You didn't want to stay with them?"

Inutaisho shrugged. "I couldn't relax."

Anora smiled in understanding. "You don't need to worry about your sister. Seth will take care of her."

Inutaisho frowned at her words. Suddenly Anora stopped walking and stared at him.

"What did Mohkem tell you?"

Inutaisho blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Mohkem told you something about Seth that upset you. What was it? And don't you dare say it was nothing."

She glared down at him, though how she managed that when Inutaisho was taller than her he didn't know.

"Well?" she asked crossing her arms and tapping her foot.

Had he been asked the day before Inutaisho would have said that no on could look as intimidating as Sesshomaru, but he was now discovering that wasn't true. Anora easily managed to match Sesshomaru.

"Ah, well, Mohkem said that he thought Seth had chosen Sierra to be his mate."

Anora froze, and then a big grin spread across her face. "Oh that's wonderful! I've wanted Seth to get a mate. This is just perfect!"

Inutaisho watched, slightly confused, as she clapped her hands in joy. "I can't wait to meet her. I hope Seth will bring her here soon. I wonder when they'll start having hatchlings. I want to be a grandmother!"

Hatchlings? Inutaisho hadn't thought about her having children. The urge to drag the others out of their bath and force Mohkem to take him to Sierra _now_ was growing again.

"Well, here's a room for you. Sleep well, Inutaisho," Anora said as she walked away, humming happily.

Inutaisho flopped down on the bed and sighed. He had a feeling that right now sleeping well was beyond him.

* * *

Hayate stared down at the army from his bedroom window. He was still miffed that Sesshomaru was leaving half the army to guard the city, and Shen to command them. It was frustrating for his plans, though it wouldn't stop them.

Hayate focused his attention on Sesshomaru. Standing by him was Hiro, along with that despicable half breed, Inuyasha and his human mate, and the kitsune. Why Sesshomaru had ever allowed Inuyasha to live was beyond Hayate. He would have killed Inuyasha the minute that old Inutaisho had croaked. Same went for Sesshomaru's precious daughter, Sierra. Hayate thought it the ultimate sign of weakness that he had let her live.

"I just hope Yumi remembers her orders when they find that girl," Hayate mumbled. Normally he wouldn't trust his daughter with a mission this important, but he'd had no one else to rely on for it. Hopefully they'd just find Sierra's corpse and Yumi wouldn't have to do anything.

The gates opened and the army marched out, Sesshomaru at its head.

"Good riddance," Hayate said as he left his window. "I hope you don't come back."

Despite what he said, Hayate knew Sesshomaru would be back. He had no faith that Yuki would manage to kill him. He would surely be weakened though, and that was enough.

A knock on his door caught Hayate's attention. "Enter."

The door opened and Baku walked in. "Lord Hayate," he said bowing.

"Baku. I hope you bring me good news."

"Yes, my lord. The woman Yuki has agreed to wok with you, as she claims no interest in ruling the West."

"Then what does she have interest in?" Hayate asked.

"Only in destroying Sesshomaru, or so she claims."

Hayate didn't believe that for a minute. Everyone wanted something. But he'd play Yuki's game for now. After all, it wasn't like she'd live long enough to try and collect.

"She asked me to give you this," Baku said, holding out a small mirror. "She said if you speak her name while holding the mirror, it would allow you to speak with her."

Hayate looked the mirror over. "Let's test that, shall we? Yuki."

The mirror rippled like disturbed water. A woman's face appeared. "Lord Hayate, I presume."

Hayate smiled at her. "And you must be Yuki."

"So I must be. And might I say that I am glad we've made this alliance?"

"You will be even happier in a few minutes. I have some information you will find most interesting."

Hayate watched Yuki's face as he told her about Sesshomaru. That she was furious was obvious.

"Thank you for this," she said, her voice tightly controlled. "I will contact you later."

The mirror rippled again, and Yuki's face disappeared.

"She is a disgusting creature," Hayate said putting the mirror in his pocket. He smiled thinly at Baku. "I look forward to what happens next."

* * *

To say Yuki was angry was an understatement. Far more accurate a description would be enraged, infuriated, or something along those lines.

She hadn't wanted Sesshomaru to know about her yet. She'd wanted it to be a surprise that she revealed. And now to find that Sesshomaru already knew and was moving to stop her…

"You," she hissed. Yuki whirled around and backhanded Kovu. He stumbled back a step, but didn't react otherwise.

"This is all your fault!" she snarled. "You let those prisoners escape.

That she had never set a specific guard over the prisoners wasn't important. Whenever something went wrong it was always Kovu's fault, just like it was Kovu's fault that Sesshomaru had left her in the first place.

Yuki struck Kovu again, and again it didn't seem to affect him much. That only served to frustrate Yuki further.

In a fit of rage Yuki pushed Kovu to his knees. She grabbed a knife and a fistful of his hair. With a quick slash of the knife his normally long locks were reduced to resting just above his shoulders.

Yuki smiled, once more calm. His hair was the one vanity that Kovu had allowed himself, a vanity she had just ruined.

Yuki dropped the hair and knife carelessly. She began to pace as Kovu remained kneeling.

"There must be some way I can get the advantage back. Something Sesshomaru won't be expecting."

Yuki stopped as she was struck by a sudden idea. "Oh…oh that's perfect!" She turned to Kovu and cupped his face with her hands. "Kovu, I know just how to correct your mistake. But I need you to collect the items I need to create a portal."

"To hear is to obey," he said dutifully.

Yuki let go and Kovu stood and left the room. She walked to a bowl of water and waved her hand over it. The image of a girl sitting by a river appeared. Yuki smiled at the girl.

"Soon now, Sierra, you and I are going to meet."

* * *

Sierra looked up at the blue sky, smiling. It promised to be a gorgeous day, made better by the fact that they once more were not traveling. Much as Sierra enjoyed seeing the new places, wagons were not the most pleasant mode of travel.

"Sierra, you'll never get your washing done if you just stare at the sky."

Ai's words brought Sierra back to earth. She sent Ai a sheepish grin. "I know, but it's such a beautiful day, I couldn't help admiring it."

Ai smiled. "It is a nice day. Still we've got work to do." She stood with her freshly washed laundry draped over one arm. "And you're behind."

Sierra blushed slightly. "Oh, I'll get it done. Don't you have to help with breakfast this morning?"

Ai nodded. "Actually, I do. So I've got to go now. See you in a little while."

Sierra waved. "See you Ai."

Ai walked away and Sierra turned her attention to the clothes. She really did need to finish this.

A few minutes later she heard someone coming behind her. Sierra looked and saw Seth walking towards her. Her face flushed and she quickly looked back down. The sight of Seth brought back memories of the day before and all the things she'd told him, as well as all the things he had told her.

She still hadn't been able to come to terms with the idea that Sesshomaru might be in the wrong for not loving her. The idea was so foreign to Sierra that for now she had simply shoved it to the back of her mind.

And if Sierra was to be completely honest with herself, she'd have to admit that it wasn't only the spoken words that made her nervous. It was remembering the way he'd held her too.

Sierra had never been held like that before, and didn't know quite what to make of it. Not that it had been unpleasant. No, the feel of his arms around her and the warmth of his smooth skin had been both comforting and pleasant. It had also led Sierra's mind to wonder about other things, things she was certain she shouldn't be thinking about.

Sierra's train of thought was broken by a gentle rap on her head. "Anyone home?" Seth asked sounding amused.

Sierra blushed realizing that while she'd been lost in thought Seth had sat down beside her and had been trying to get her attention.

"Sorry Seth, I was lost in thought."

He smiled. "I could tell. Thinking about something interesting?"

Sierra turned back to her clothes. "Maybe, maybe not."

"You do realize that answer only makes me more curious," Seth said.

Sierra stuck her tongue out at him impishly.

Seth chuckled. "Anyways, that's not what I wanted to talk about."

Sierra sat back, looking at him curiously.

"I wanted to tell you that I've picked you to be my mate."

Sierra stared at him. Had she heard that right? "Excuse me?"

Seth nodded. "Yes, I want you to be my mate. I'm not asking you to decide now; I know humans take a while to make this sort of decision. I just wanted you to know that I am going to be courting you so you won't be confused by my actions."

Wouldn't be confused? It was much too late for that.

"But," Sierra sputtered, "you hardly know me! How can you choose me to be your mate?"

"I know enough," Seth responded.

"Like what?"

"I know you would be a wonderful mother for Little Blue. I know you're kind and hard working. I know I enjoy spending time with you. I know I'm in love with you. Seems to me that's all I need to know."

Sierra knew she was blushing from his words, lost as to what she should say. No one had ever said they loved her before.

Seth smiled, reached out and smoothed down a few strands of her wayward hair. "Like I said, you don't need to decide right now. I just wanted you to know."

He leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss on her cheek, then stood and walked away.

Sierra sat there, stunned and confused. The idea that she might be desirable, especially to a yokai, had never really occurred to her. As a result, she had no idea what to do next, and was feeling a bit panicky about the whole situation.

"Sierra! Aren't you done yet?"

Sierra turned and saw Ai frowning down at her. "Oh my goodness, Ai, what am I supposed to do?"

Ai looked confused. "About your clothes?"

"No Seth! He…he…" Sierra was finding it difficult to say the words aloud.

Instantly Ai was beside her. "Seth what?"

"Hewantsmetobehismate!"

Ai let out a squeal. "Seriously?"

Sierra nodded. "Yes. But he said he wouldn't ask me to decide now, but he is going to court me."

"Oh, that's so romantic," Ai sighed.

"Romantic? Ai, what am I supposed to do? I can't be his mate!"

"Why not?"

"Well, for one thing I hardly know him."

"Isn't that what the courtship is for?" Ai asked cutting through Sierra's rising panic.

"I guess," she said slowly.

"Well then, let him court you. You aren't committing to anything doing that. Get to know him, and then make your decision."

Sierra didn't reply, but sat there frowning. What Ai said made sense. She could just get to know Seth and see what came of it.

Sierra's panic seeped away. Ai was right. There was no need to get upset about Seth wanting to court her. In fact it might be nice to have someone lavish her with attention.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right. Now come on, it's time for breakfast."

Sierra looked in dismay at her still dirty laundry. "I haven't finished this yet."

"Well, you can't do it now. You have play practice tight after breakfast so you must eat. I'll do it for you latter."

"Oh, Ai you don't have to do that."

Ai waved away her concern. "It's the least I can do since you took the part of Belle from me. Good luck with that, by the way."

Sierra smiled. "Thanks."

They walked back to the group and found almost everyone else already had their food. Ai and Sierra hurried to get their own.

When they had their food they heard Little Blue call, "Ai, Sierra, over here!"

They went to where Little Blue was sitting by Seth, Agol, Richard, and Sakura. Sierra sat by Little Blue and Ai sat on the other side of Sierra.

Little Blue beamed up at Sierra with an especially bright smile.

_I wonder if Seth told Little Blue about his decision. Probably. Seth doesn't seem like the kind of person to keep something like that a secret from her._

"Good morning, Sierra," Sakura said with a smile. "Are you looking forward to practicing the play with the other actors instead of just Richard?"

Sierra smiled back. "Yes, I am, though I'm certain I'm going to be making quite a few mistakes."

"Of course you are," Agol said. "You only started learning everything yesterday. Mistakes are only to be expected."

"You should know," Richard said. "You've been practicing for bloody weeks now and you still make mistakes."

Everyone laughed as Agol looked comically indignant. They soon finished the meal and the participants of the play wandered away to practice.

"Okay," Richard said, "since this is your first practice we won't worry about movements much. Right now I just want to work on you knowing your lines. We'll start from the beginning."

Sierra wasn't worried too much about the first song. She had practiced it quite a bit the day before with Richard, and she felt she had it memorized.

Everyone gathered round Richard, who pointed to Sierra to start.

"_Little town,_

_It's a quiet village,_

_Ev'ry day,_

_Like the one before,_

_Little town,_

_Filled with little people,_

_Waking up to say…"_

The song took off, and Sierra was pleased that she didn't forget any of it.

After the last note disappeared from the air, Richard clapped grinning. "That was great lass, you're a natural."

"I thought you said you'd be making mistakes," Agol grumbled, but Sierra could tell he wasn't really upset.

She smiled, happy with the praise. She'd had music lessons as long as she could remember with a teacher who expected her to get everything perfect the first time. While that philosophy had often made her lessons difficult, it had helped her have an excellent memory for music.

"Since you're doing so well with the music, let's go ahead and add movement to the first one," Richard said.

Practice continued till Sakura called them in for lunch. By that time sierra thought she could do the first song blind folded. She felt she could also do a fairly decent job at the first scene with Agol, or 'Gaston.' Funny name, that.

But now she was tired and ready for a break. She never would have guessed that acting could be so exhausting. Luckily they were done with play practice for the day.

* * *

Seth had a slight problem. Nothing major, really, but still a problem. Seth had told Sierra he was going to court her, but it had slowly dawned on him throughout the day that he didn't know how to court a human.

Dragon yokai didn't court each other. They met, they talked, and they mated. That was pretty much it. So Seth was fairly lost where the idea of courtship was concerned, and he acknowledged that he needed help.

Now the question was who to ask for help? There were plenty of men he could ask in the Troupe, but Seth wasn't sure that he trusted all of them to give him advice. If he did this wrong Sierra might refuse to be his mate, and that was not acceptable.

By the time lunch ended Seth had decided who he'd ask. He cornered Richard, Agol, and Tsuyoshi. "I need to speak with you three privately."

"Of course, lad," Richard said. "Let's head over to Agol and Tsuyohi's wagon. Should be clear of people; no one wants to get to bloody close to the old sourpuss."

Tsuyoshi glared at Richard. "Show respect for your elders, boy."

"Being old has not one bloody thing to do with it. I show respect to my equals or betters, not bloody old people."

By this time they had made it to Agol and Tsuyoshi's wagon. "What did you need Seth?" Agol asked to prevent an argument between Tsuyoshi and Richard.

Seth sat down by the wagon and curled his tail around his waist to make sure the others wouldn't trip over it. "I need to know how to court a human female."

Silence reigned over the group. One by one the others sat down. Seth felt slightly annoyed. Was it really that shocking?  
"It's Sierra isn't it?" Tsuyoshi asked.

Seth nodded. "Yes. I want her to be my mate, but I don't know how to court her."

"Dragon yokai don't court each other?" Agol asked.

"With us it's generally just 'let's be mates' and it's done."

"Well," Richard said, "there's always the usual. Gifts, jewelry, candy, poetry…"

"Fool, you can't be sure that will work," Tsuyoshi said.

"And bloody well why not?"

"Because if there's one thing I've learned in my life it's that women are confusing and contrary, and what makes one happy will not necessarily make another happy."

"Besides," Agol said, "can you really see Seth reciting poetry?"

The three stared at Seth a moment and then burst out laughing. Seth closed his eyes, trying to curb his annoyance. He could recite poetry if he wanted. He just didn't want to was all.

"Anyways," Tsuyoshi said, "what you need to do is think about what Sierra likes and make a plan off of that."

What did Sierra like? Seth didn't actually know anything about her interests.

"I don't know what she likes," he admitted to the men.

"That's going to make things harder," Richard said.

"I've got an idea," Agol said. "About half a mile farther upriver there's a side stream I found. If you follow that a few minutes it leads you into a wooded area, and the stream ends in a pool. Surrounding the pool is a couple of big old trees that are just covered in wild climbing roses. It's the perfect spot for a picnic."

"A picnic dinner is perfect!" Richard said hitting his palm with his fist. "It's romantic, and it's a good opportunity to learn what makes her happy."

"For once I have to agree with them," Tsuyoshi said. "It's a good idea. Although, if I were you I'd check out the area Agol is talking about now so you'll know exactly where to take her. If you don't you'll probably wind up getting lost and ruin the whole thing."

Seth doubted he'd get lost, all he had to do was follow the river, but scouting the place out was still a sensible idea.

"I'll se you later then," Seth said standing.

"I'll ask Sakura to make you a special dinner," Richard promised.

Seth nodded. "Thank you." He crouched slightly and tensed his muscles. With a leap and a flap of his wings Seth was airborne.

The wind slipped past his face, and Seth smiled. This was where he felt best, where he was completely free. There were few things he loved so much as the ability to fly.

Watching the river, Seth soon saw the side stream Agol had talked about. He landed by the stream planning to walk the rest of the way. It wasn't long before he made it to the pool. Seth looked around, pleased with what he saw. It was a beautiful spot, and he was sure Sierra would like it.

Looking forward to the evening Seth flew back to the wagons.

_Should I invite Sierra now or later?_

Seth decided it was probably best to ask as soon as possible. That way he could be sure she wouldn't have other plans, though what plans she might come up with Seth didn't know.

He found her at the river again with Ai. This time they were washing their blankets. Seth would have preferred to find Sierra alone, but he supposed that it didn't matter too much. Sierra had probably told Ai about the courtship already anyways.

Seth sat down beside Sierra. "Hey."

Sierra jumped slightly, looking surprised. Hadn't she been paying any attention? It wasn't like Seth had been trying to sneak up on her.

She smiled at him, her face slightly red. "Hey Seth."

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" he asked.

Sierra tipped her head to the side. "Well, no, not really."

"Good. I want you to come on a picnic dinner with me tonight."

Sierra blushed, looking down. "I'd like that."

Seth smiled, pleased with his success. "All right. I'll come get you at dinner time."

Seth stood to go, and noticed Ai frowning at him. She was unhappy, but Seth didn't know what he might have done to upset her.

_She'll probably lecture me about whatever I did later._

Seth decided to check up on Little Blue. He wanted to make sure she hadn't been bothering anyone. He found her with Agol, pestering him with random questions that he patiently answered.

"Little Blue, you shouldn't' bother him," Seth told her as he walked up.

"I'm not bothering him, am I Agol?"

Agol glanced up from the knife he was sharpening. "Actually, Little Blue,-"

She turned to Seth before he could finish. "See? I'm not bothering him."

"Why don't you go help Richard? I think he's tending the horses."

Little Blue brightened at being given permission to go near the horses, something Seth normally didn't allow. She ran off and Agol heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Seth," Agol said. "I'll always adore Little Blue, but her energy does wear on one's nerves after a while."

Seth nodded. "I think that's a gift all young ones have."

"So, are you and Sierra going on that picnic tonight?"

"Yes, we are. It should be enjoyable."

"Hopefully. How long do you think Sierra will take to decide?"

Seth shrugged. "I don't know. I'm hoping it won't take her nearly as long as it's taking you and Ai."

Agol's hand slipped at Seth's words, the blade of the knife almost slicing into his other hand. "Wh-what?"

Seth raised his eyebrows at him. "It is obvious to everyone that you and Ai have chosen each other. Why you two refuse to act on your decision is beyond me."

Agol looked flustered. "Our situation is complicated."

Seth snorted. "It can't be more complicated than Sierra and I. We're different species."

Agol laughed, though he didn't seem amused. "I suppose, but I'd rather not talk about it right now."

"Alright," Seth said. If Agol wanted to keep it in, he wouldn't push. "Do you have any advice for tonight?"

"Don't rush anything," Agol said. "Also, be sure to compliment her as much as possible. That usually makes women happy. And above all else, be a gentleman."

Seth nodded. It was good advice. "I'd better go make sure that Little Blue hasn't done anything to the horses."

Seth walked away but before he could make it to where the horses were being kept Ai blocked his way. She didn't look happy.

"Can I speak with you Seth?" she asked.

"I suppose," he said dryly.

"I wanted to talk to you about how you invited Sierra to the picnic tonight."

"What about it?"

Ai crossed her arms over her chest. "It was rude, that's what!"

"…It was?"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Yes, it was. You're supposed to request a lady's presence, not demand it."

But he hadn't demanded her presence. Sure he hadn't quite asked, and he wouldn't actually have taken no for an answer, but still.

"It didn't seem to bother Sierra, so why should it bother you?"

Ai sighed in frustration. "It's the principle of the matter!"

Seth was starting to feel annoyed that she was lecturing him over something that he didn't think was a big deal, and as far as he could tell, hadn't bothered Sierra.

"Why don't you get your own love life in order before meddling with mine," Seth said and moved around her, once more heading for Little Blue and the horses.

* * *

Evening couldn't come soon enough for Seth. The afternoon had seemed to draw on forever, but it was finally time to collect Sierra and go on their picnic. A basket of food swung from one hand as he walked to Sierra and Ai's wagon.

He got there just in time to see her climb down from the wagon. He took a moment to admire her figure. She was barely over five feet, and slender. Her long straight white hair was pulled back in a low pony tail, and her big blue eyes were framed by long lashes. When she smiled at him it was as if some light inside of her had been lit.

"Hello, Seth," she said in a voice that sounded like music to him.

Seth smiled at her. "Hey, Sierra. Ready to go?" He could see she was ready, but thought it would be polite to ask.

Sierra nodded. "Yes, I'm ready."

"Good, let's go." Seth began leading the way and Sierra walked beside him.

"So, where are we going?" Sierra asked.

Seth glanced at her and saw the curiosity in her eyes. "It's a surprise," he told her, hiding a smile.

Sierra frowned at him. "You can't just tell me?"

"You can't be patient a few minutes?"

"I could be," Sierra said, "but I'd rather not."

Seth chuckled. "I'm afraid you're not getting a choice. You're going to have to wait."

"Well, I could just refuse to go with you unless you tell me," Sierra said teasingly.

Seth used his tail to hold the basket so his hands would be free. Then he scooped Sierra up bridal style, earning a startled yelp from her.

"If you won't come along willingly I'll have to kidnap you," Seth said smirking.

Sierra blushed and squirmed. "Seth, put me down! I can walk."

Seth held her tighter. "But you might run off since I won't tell you where we're going."

Sierra sighed. "I'm not going to run off and you know it. If I did I'd never find out what the surprise was."

"True," Seth said. Still, he was reluctant to put her down, not because he thought she'd run away, but because he simply liked holding her. And if the way her heart was hammered was anything to judge by, Sierra didn't mind it either, despite her protests.

Remembering Agol's admonition not to rush anything, Seth sat her gently on her feet. Sierra moved a step or two away from him, looking embarrassed. That bothered Seth, and he almost reached out to pull her back.

_I must remember, she's human. She doesn't make these decisions as quickly as I do._

"Are we almost there?" she asked.

Seth saw the side stream just ahead. "Almost. He led her down the side stream and soon they were at the pond.

"Oh, wow," Sierra said twirling around. "It's beautiful."

"Not nearly as beautiful as you," Seth said watching her.

Sierra glanced at him, blushing. She didn't respond to his compliment.

Seth set the basket on the ground. "Do you want to eat now?"

Sierra nodded. "That'd be nice."

She sat down and Seth unpacked the basket. There was more food in it than they'd eat, but too much was better than to little.

They started eating in silence, and Seth wondered how to start up the conversation. He was a very direct and blunt person, not much given to the small talk humans seemed to love.

"What do you do for fun?" he finally asked for lack of anything better to say.

Sierra looked thoughtful as she answered. "Well, I enjoy reading, music, sewing…" her voice trailed off and she looked like she was struggling to come up with more.

"Is that it?"

Sierra blushed and looked away. "No, it's just that's pretty much all I've been allowed to do. I'm still learning about everything else."

Seth tucked that bit of information away in his mind. Sierra didn't give much information about her past, so Seth hoarded what she did let slip.

"What would you like to learn to do?" he asked.

"I'd love to learn how to dance," she said.

"Oh?"

Sierra nodded, smiling shyly. "Dancing always seemed like such fun, but I was never allowed to participate."

"Why not?" Seth asked casually.

"Because I might get hurt," she said a tinge of resentment in her voice. Then she seemed to realize what she'd said and her face flushed. "Ah, no…it was nothing. Just forget about it."

Seth wanted to press the issue, for he felt there was something important behind those words. After all, why would anyone think the simple act of dancing would hurt Sierra? She was a perfectly normal human girl. Okay, maybe not exactly normal. Her coloring was all wrong for a human, unless she came from overseas like Richard, but Seth knew that wasn't the case.

"So, what do you like to do for fun?" Sierra asked in an obvious attempt to change the topic.

Seth decided to go along with her for now. It would be best to wait till she opened up to him of her own free will. "Let's see, I love flying, messing with my brother,-"

"You have a brother?" Sierra blushed when he looked at her. "Sorry for interrupting."

Seth chuckled. "It's fine. Yes, I do, a twin brother. His name is Mohkem. We've always been close, and one of my pastimes is messing with him. Of course one of his favorite pastimes is messing with me."

Sierra laughed softly.

"Do you have any siblings?" he asked.

Sierra twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "Yes," she finally said. "I have three brothers, all older."

"Were you close to them?" Seth asked.

Sierra shrugged. "Not exactly. I was always closest to my oldest brother, but I would never have sat down and talked about my feelings or anything. Come to think f it, we never talked about anything important at all."

Seth didn't like the sadness he heard in her voice. Still, talking about her past might be the only way she could let it go.

"What about your mom?"

"When I was little I stayed with her constantly. But as I started taking lessons I didn't see her as much."

Lessons, she said. That meant her family was wealthy.

"When I did see Mother she was always kind but…she treated me as though I was a helpless child, and the slightest thing might hurt me."

Which, again, made no sense. Sierra was perfectly healthy, so why she should be treated in such a manner was confusing. Maybe if her family were yokai it would be understandable, but that wasn't…possible…

Bells began to ring in Seth's mind as pieces started falling into place. Her saying she wasn't what she was supposed to be, her father's inability to love her, why her presence would have caused him trouble, why they would have treated her like she was helpless, why her coloring was so strange. It all made sense now.

Seth had heard of how Sesshomaru's daughter had been cursed to be human, though he didn't know why. Seth doubted that any yokai had not heard of it. If Sierra truly was Sesshomaru's daughter as Seth now believed it would explain everything. It wouldn't excuse anything, but it would explain it.

Now the big question was whether or not he should confront Sierra about it. Looking at her downcast form, Seth couldn't bring himself to do it. Right now all he wanted to do was make her smile.

Seth put the leftover food in the basket and pushed it out the way. As he did so, an idea for how he might cheer Sierra up grew. He reached around with his tail and gently rubbed it against her side. He was rewarded with a gasp and a muffled giggle.

Seth grinned at her. "Why, Sierra, I think you're ticklish."

Sierra scooted away from him. "No I'm not."

Seth crawled towards her as she scooted farther away. "Then why are you running?"

"Because your smile is creepy, and technically, I'm not running, I'm-eep!"

Seth had pounced on her and was now tickling her sides. Sierra squirmed beneath him, her efforts to escape hampered by her laughter.

"S-stop!" she gasped.

Seth tilted his head to the side. "I'm sorry, I can't understand you."

Sierra continued to squirm under him, and suddenly Seth wasn't only feeling amusement at her predicament.

"Seth!" she gasped, her head twisting to the side and leaving her neck bear and readily available.

Seth knew that she didn't mean for the movement to invite him to mark her. He knew this, but it didn't stop the almost overwhelming urge to make her his right there.

Seth jerked away from her purposely hitting his head against a tree. That helped some, but not much. A dunk in the river might be more useful. He closed his eyes tightly and held himself rigid. He had to get control of himself.

"Seth?"" He could hear Sierra moving towards him.

"Stay back!" he snapped.

The noises stopped, to Seth's relief. After a few more minutes he was able to relax and open his eyes. Sierra was watching him, concern etched on her face.

He smiled tightly at her. "I'm afraid there won't be any more tickle fights for a while."

Understanding crossed her face, along with embarrassment. "That's okay."

"We should head back," he said, picking up the basket.

They walked in silence on the return trip. When they were just outside the camp Sierra stopped and smiled at him. "Thanks for the picnic Seth. I had fun."

Seth smiled back at her. It hadn't turned out like he thought it would, but he was glad she'd enjoyed it. "I'm glad."

Sierra headed off towards her wagon, and Seth went back up river. He wanted a long swim before he had to speak with anyone else.

* * *

"Kit, Kat, we've got to rest!" Ran said.

Kit sighed with frustration. "We've already rested!"

Ran rolled her eyes. "We traveled all yesterday afternoon, most of the night, and all day today! We need a break."

"We'll never make it at this rate," Kat complained.

"If you can think of a way for us to rest and travel at the same time, we'll be glad to go along with it," Masashi said as he sat down.

Kit and Kat glanced at each other, and nodded.

"We'll carry you then," Kit said.

Ran wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "Carry us?"

The twins backed away from the group and then changed into their dog forms. Both were big enough to carry people on their backs.

"Well, that's convenient," Kenji said.

Kit and Kat knelt down so they could climb on. Ran pulled herself up on Kit while Kenji and Masashi climbed on Kat. Once on Kit's back Ran leaned forward and burrowed into his fur. When she was settled Kit began to move at a steady pace that was lulling her to sleep.

_If we keep going like this we should get there soon,_ Ran thought. _And then we'll make Yuki regret messing with us._

* * *

Yeah, so I totally meant to put in Richard's past, for those of you who are curious, but there was no room for it at all in this chapter. But hey, you got to know more about Seth. Since my brain is about dead frome review and tell me how you liked it! Or didn't like it, I guess, if that's the case.


	22. Chapter 22

I'm exhausted, so I blame any mistakes you may find on that.

Don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Inutaisho was glad they were finally going. The rest, though forced, had been useful, but he was ready to find Sierra.

Mohkem was the one leading them, so he set the pace. It wasn't quite as fast as Inutaisho would have liked, but it was acceptable.

"Just out of curiosity," Rai started, "what has your brother been doing all this time?"

"Not sure," Mohkem said. "I know he travels around, and I know he's with a group of people, but that's about it."

"Hey, doesn't your brother have a daughter?" Yumi asked.

Mohkem looked surprised. "A daughter?"

"When we caught up with the bandits, one of them said something about catching a dragon yokai girl and her father rescuing her."

Mohkem looked thoughtful. "Seth didn't have any kids when he left, but if he got one since then that would explain some of the emotions I've felt from him."

"Wait, if he has a daughter, wouldn't he already have a mate?" Inutaisho asked.

"Not necessarily. As I'm sure you already know, dragon yokai lay eggs instead of giving birth. Well sometimes, not often, but sometimes those eggs are lost."

"How could you lose something like that?" Rai asked.

"There are morons in every race," Mohkem said. "But usually it's because the parents were killed or the egg was stolen. Anyways, one quirk of our eggs is that they won't hatch unless in the presence of another dragon yokai. So an egg can go hundreds of years without hatching if it's been lost. Most probably Seth just found the egg and decided to keep it."

"Shouldn't he have tried to find the parents?" Inutaisho asked.

Mohkem shook his head. If they lose their egg and can't get it back by themselves they lose rights to their hatchling. Whoever finds the egg becomes the hatchling's parent."

"It doesn't seem fair to the parents," Yumi said.

"We're more concerned about the hatchling," Mohkem said.

They lapsed into silence then, and as always Inutaisho's thoughts went to Sierra.

_Soon now,_ he thought. _I'm going to find you soon._

* * *

Though Sesshomaru was walking with his army, his mind was everywhere else. Part of his mind was still at the palace with Lilianna, going over what she'd told him that morning.

"I'm still angry at you," she'd said hugging him, "but I still love you."

Another part of his mind concentrated on Sierra, wondering where she was, and what she was doing. He refused to consider the possibility that she might be hurt. When would Inutaisho find her?

A third part of his mind was devising punishments for Kit and Kat. How could they have been stupid enough to try and go after Yuki on their own?

"Anyone in there?"

Sesshomaru glared at Inuyasha for interrupting his thoughts.

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes. "I know this isn't where you want to be, but this is where you're needed."

"I do not need you to lecture me, Inuyasha."

"Yeah? Then prove it. Stay focused on what's happening now."

Sesshomaru didn't bother to reply. As much as it galled him, Inuyasha was right. He needed to concentrate on the issues at hand rather than worrying about things he couldn't control. Worrying was beneath him.

_Not when you have pups, it isn't,_ a part of his mind said.

Silently, Sesshomaru agreed.

* * *

Ran woke up as the morning light hit her face. She pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing at the stiffness in her body.

"Kit, you are not a comfortable bed," she said.

At the sound of her voice he slowed down to a stop and knelt so she could climb off. Ran did so and stretched gratefully, noting that Kenji and Masashi were climbing off Kat.

The twins changed back into their usual forms. "We need to rest a little while," Kit said.

"You three should probably eat while we do," Kat told them.

"How much longer do you think it will be before we make it?" Ran asked them.

"If we keep traveling like we did last night," Kit started.

"We'll make it by tomorrow night," Kat finished.

Ran smiled grimly. Tomorrow night they'd see what they could do to free everyone.

* * *

Hayate found Shen crossing quickly through the gardens, most likely going to check the guards on the palace walls.

"General Shen!"

Shen stopped and turned to face him, hiding the irritation he most surely felt. "Lord Hayate, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, nothing," Hayate said. "I just wanted to commend you on the fortifications you have set up. Of course they will be useless, but it was a nice try."

Shen's eyes narrowed, but before he could speak Hayate blew sharply on a whistle. The result was instant. Cries rose around the palace, and Shen made the mistake of looking away.

Hayate took advantage of the moment to run his claws through Shen's gut. Shen let out a pained gasp and swiped at Hayate with his own claws. However, slowed as Shen was by the pain, Hayate was able to jump out of the way easily. Shen stumbled back, one arm wrapped around his stomach. The wound wouldn't kill Shen, but he was no longer in any good condition to fight.

Hayate smirked at him, his red eyes glowing. "The West is mine now, Shen. You lose."

Shen pulled out his sword. "Not yet."

Shen rushed him, but Hayate dodged again. Pointing one hand at Shen he let loose a fire ball that Shen only mostly dodged.

Burned and wounded, Shen didn't stand a chance. Moving faster than Shen could react at the moment, Hayate appeared behind him and hit him hard on the back of the head. Shen fell, unconscious now.

Hayate smirked at the limp form. "You weren't so tough after all."

Some of Hayate's soldiers appeared. "Put him in the dungeon," Hayate said, motioning towards Shen.

The soldiers instantly obeyed him. Hayate walked towards the palace. He wanted to be sure that Lilianna and the miko had been captured.

He found Lilianna in the main hall, disheveled, tied up, and infuriated. "What is the meaning of this, Hayate?" she snarled.

Hayate smiled gallantly at her. "Why, my dear, I think that should be obvious. I am taking over as the new Lord of the West."

Lilianna glared at him. "Fool. You haven't what it takes to rule the West."

Hayate backhanded her. "You ought to be nicer to me, Lilianna. If you are, perhaps I won't kill you. Take her away."

Two soldiers dragged her off as Hayate turned to a third. "Has the miko been caught yet?"

The soldier shook his head no. "I'm afraid not Sir. She's disappeared."

Hayate frowned. "Find her. The last thing I need is a miko running around trying to stop me."

After delivering that order Hayate left to make sure that his soldiers were winning everywhere. By sundown he was the undisputed ruler of the palace and city.

But they still hadn't found the miko.

* * *

Shen winced as he woke up. He hurt all over, but most of the pain centered on his stomach.

"Shen, are you alright?"

Shen sat up and saw that he was in a cell, and Lady Lilianna was in the cell across from him. "I will be fine, my Lady. Are you unharmed?"

Lady Lilianna nodded. "I am unharmed."

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"A few hours. It is evening now."

Shen nodded, and then bowed his head. "I am sorry, my Lady. I have failed you and Lord Sesshomaru."

Lady Lilianna smiled at him. "I hold no ill will for you Shen. In fact, I have some good news."

"What?"

"Isamu got away from them."

Relief mixed with guilt flowed through him. He hadn't thought of Isamu yet. "I hope she'll do the smart thing and get out of here."

"Has she?"

Thanks to their bond Shen would be able to tell how far away Isamu was. He closed his eyes and concentrated past the pain, looking for the warmth that was Isamu. He felt despair when he found her.

"She's still here."

* * *

Isamu knew the smart thing to do would be to leave the palace and try to catch up to Sesshomaru. However, there didn't seem to be much point to that plan. It would takes days for her to catch up with Sesshomaru, and even when she did, what could he do? He needed to take out Yuki.

Besides, Isamu couldn't bear the thought of leaving anyone at Hayate's mercy, especially Shen. Isamu didn't know why Hayate hadn't killed him yet, she was only glad he hadn't.

Right now what she needed to do was come up with a plan.

_Although, my situation is hardly conducive to thinking._

She was currently hiding in a storage shed at the back of the palace grounds. She wasn't too worried about being found. She was wearing a bracelet that Kenji had charmed to render the wearer completely invisible. She couldn't be seen or smelled. About the only way Isamu could be found was if someone bumped into her. Just to be on the safe side she had placed a spell on the shed to keep people from noticing it.

_Okay, the first order of business. I need to get food and supplies. I don't know how long I'm going to be here._

Isamu peeked out the doorway carefully. Just because she was invisible didn't mean she should be careless. Seeing no one she went outside.

Moving as quickly and quietly as she could, Isamu made her way to the vegetable gardens. She gathered some produce which she took back to the shed. After that she went to the kitchens, which were currently empty, and took bread and a jug of water.

_Okay,_ she thought setting the bread and water down. _I've gathered all the supplies I'll need for a little while. Now to come up with a plan of action._

Isamu wasn't sure what she could do without getting caught. She was only one person after all.

_I need allies, but whom?_

The servants were a possibility, Hayate hadn't killed them off, and they might be more loyal to Sesshomaru than Hayate.

_But I've never talked to any of the servants. How do I know who I can trust?_

Suddenly, Isamu remembered the seamstresses. Lilianna had decided to gift her with kimonos, so she'd had to meet the seamstresses.

The three kitsune women were strange and eccentric, but their complete adoration of the royal family had been open and obvious.

_I'm certain I can trust those three. And they should know who else can be trusted. Now I just need to contact them._

Isamu headed back to the palace, entering through the kitchens again. She traveled the halls carefully, ducking behind corners whenever she saw someone.

She made it to the seamstresses work room without much trouble. Listening outside their door Isamu heard their muffled voices, and waited a moment to make sure it was only them in there. Reassured, Isamu slipped inside.

The women froze, staring at the door. Isamu spoke quickly, not wanting them to panic and attack the area she was standing in. "It's me, Isamu."

The three women relaxed. "Isamu, we'd thought you left," Diamond, an ice kitsune, said.

Isamu started to shake her head, but remembered they couldn't see her. "No, I couldn't leave everyone here. I want to fight Hayate, but I can't do it on my own. I need help."

"Well, of course we'll help," said Ruby, the fire fox of the group.

"And do you know which of the servants we can trust?" Isamu asked. "The more help we have, the better."

"Of course we do," Sapphire, the water fox, said. "We'll recruit everyone we need."

"Now, what's your plan?" Diamond asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Isamu admitted. "This was as much as I'd thought out."

"Then let's put our heads together," Ruby said, "and between the four of us, I'm sure we'll come up with a plan to get rid of that upstart."

"Preferably permanently," Sapphire added.

* * *

Sierra sipped her water gratefully. That morning's practice had seemed to last forever. But it had been fun, and she would be able to practice her first scene with Seth tomorrow.

"You're doing a great job, Sierra," Little Blue told her.

Sierra smiled at her. "Thank you, Little Blue." Then Sierra noticed the new necklace Little Blue was wearing. It was a small blue stone hanging on a silver chain. "That's a cute necklace you're wearing."

Little Blue beamed. "Thank you. Daddy made it for me. He said I wander off to much and this will help him find me."

It was probably a good idea to give Little Blue something like that. Sierra could see it coming in handy.

Seth sat down on Sierra's other side, his fingers gently running down her back as he did so. Sierra repressed a shiver. She was finding it much easier to accept and enjoy his touch than she would have guessed.

"Seth," she said.

He glanced over at her. "Hm?"

"I've been wondering…What was your childhood name?"

Seth looked surprised, and faintly embarrassed. "That is the one bit of information that you will never learn from me."

Sierra pouted. "Aw, you won't tell me?"

"No."

"What if I say please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with a strawberry on top?"

"No."

Little Blue leaned towards Sierra and whispered conspiratorially, "Try lemons. He likes lemons as much as I like strawberries."

"Pretty please with lemons on top?"

"Since you don't actually have lemons, no."

Sierra sighed. His complete refusal to tell her only made her more curious. There had to be some way to get him to tell her.

"What if I give you a kiss?" The words came out before she had a chance to think about them.

Seth's eyes locked with hers then moved t her mouth, and then her neck. He looked away with a short laugh. "Unless you want to e my mate, you'd better not."

Sierra glanced at Little Blue hoping the girl hadn't been able to follow that exchange. Judging by the puzzled look on her face, she hadn't.

"What if I agree to tell you what I was thinking about yesterday?"

Seth leaned back on his hands. "Now that's a tempting offer."

Sierra blushed and found herself wishing that Seth would say no again. Much as she wanted to know what Seth's childhood name had been, she didn't want to tell him she'd been thinking about the way he'd held her.

"Fine, we've got a deal."

_Of course we do. I think I'd rather kiss him. No, wait, the kissing thing would lead to other things, and I'm not ready to be his mate yet. Yeah, I'd rather do the talking thing._

Sierra was pulled out of her thoughts by a gentle bop on the head. "Sierra?"

Sierra blushed again. "Sorry, lost in thought again. So, you go first. What was your name?"

Seth opened his mouth to speak, then stopped and glared at all the people leaning in to hear their conversation. "Do you mind?"

"Not a bit," Richard said. "Go right ahead."

Seth sighed, took Sierra's hand and started to lead her away from the disappointed crowd.

"You stay here, Little Blue," Seth said.

"But Daddy," she started.

"No buts. If you hear, it won't be hard for them to convince you to tell what my name was."

"We would never do such a bloody awful thing," Richard said.

"Yes you would," Sakura said.

Richard sighed dramatically. "It's a bloody awful life when your own wife thinks the worst of you."

Seth continued to lead Sierra away from the others. When they were out of earshot Seth stopped.

"Okay now, my childhood name." Seth looked a bit embarrassed again. "It was Hero."

Sierra tried not to laugh, she really did. However, when she got a mental image of a toddler Seth striking a heroic pose, she couldn't help herself.

"It's not that funny," Seth grumbled.

"I know," Sierra said, giggling. "It's just, ha ha, that image." She broke down laughing again. Finally Sierra got her laughter under control.

"Now that you've had you little laugh, you get to tell me what you were thinking about."

Sierra blushed when reminded of her side of the deal. "Oh that. Yes, well, I was thinking about when you held me the other day, bye," she said in a rush, and then turned to walk away. Seth seemed to have other ideas though as his arms wrapped around her waist and pinned her against his chest.

"You're not getting away that easily," he whispered in her ear.

Sierra blushed and felt her heart pounding in her chest. The reaction Seth caused was completely unfair.

Seth nuzzled her neck. "So you like it when I hold you?"

"Y-yes," Sierra said. What girl wouldn't like to be held by a handsome man like Seth? It felt nice, and ignited emotions Sierra had never felt before. When Seth held her, Sierra knew she wanted to get closer to him, but she didn't know if that was love, or something else. Sierra wasn't sure if you could fall in love that fast.

Sierra was pulled out of her thoughts when Seth kissed her jaw. "I thought you said no kissing," Sierra said.

"Just don't kiss me back," he ordered, and then went back to kissing her jaw.

Sierra closed her eyes and relaxed into his hold. She found she had no qualms with letting him do whatever he wanted at the moment.

Seth switched his attention to her neck, and began kissing her there. Sierra made a pleased sound in the back of her throat, much to her own surprise.

Then Seth's hands began to wander, shocking Sierra enough to remind her where this was heading. Coming to her senses, Sierra jerked herself out of Seth's hold and stumbled a few steps away. She turned to see Seth staring at her, looking both hurt and confused.

"I-I'm sorry Seth," Sierra said, feeling the need to try and explain herself to him. "I like the way I feel when you touch me, I do, but…I…I'm not sure that that's love and…" Sierra's voice trailed off. Did Seth get what she was trying to say?

Seth took her chin in his hand and tipped her face up so she was looking into his eyes. "I understand Sierra, and I'm sorry for pushing you."

Sierra was relieved to see that Seth wasn't upset with her. He leaned forwards and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Go back to the others."

He started to walk away from her, but Sierra called out, "Where are you going?"

Seth glanced back at her. "Swimming."

Sierra returned to the others feeling a bit confused. Why did Seth feel the sudden need to swim?

"So, lass," Richard said tossing an arm about Sierra's shoulders. "What's the secret?"

"I'm not telling you Seth's childhood name."

Richard pulled a long face. "Come now lass, you can tell me."

"No."

"Why not?"

Sierra sighed. "Because you'll tell everyone else, and you'll all tease him, that's why."

Richard pulled back, looking hurt. "How could you think so bloody low of me?"

Sierra stared at him. "Because it's true."

Richard took a deep breath. "Very well. I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you've bloody well left me now choice. As the bloody leader of this bloody Troupe, I bloody order you to bloody well tell me Seth's bloody childhood name!"

"…You just said bloody five times in the same sentence."

"So? It's still grammatically correct."

"I suppose."

"Now then, Seth's name."

Sierra tipped her head to the side. "What will you do if I don't tell you?"

Richard looked thoughtful, then worried, and then triumphant. "I'll follow you till you tell me!"

_He has the maturity level of Little Blue._

But Sierra didn't want Richard to follow her. That would get annoying really fast.

Sierra caught sight of Sakura not to far away, and called out, "Sakuraaa, Richard's threatening to stalk me!"

Sakura walked over. "Richard, quit bothering Sierra."

"But I'm on a mission!"

Sakura crossed her arms. "And what mission would that be?"

"The Discover Seth's Childhood Name By Annoying Sierra Until She Tells Me mission."

Sakura sighed. "Richard, leave her alone."

But,"

"Do you want to sleep in the wagon tonight?"

Richard sulked. "Fine. I'll bloody figure it out the hard way." He stalked off and Sierra wondered what he meant by 'the hard way'. Maybe he was going to try and get the information out of Seth.

_Good luck with that._

* * *

Yuki smiled as she looked over the objects that Kovu had brought her. With these items she would be able to create the portal to Sierra.

"I can't wait to see the look on Sesshomaru's face when he finds out I have her," Yuki purred.

It would take all night and most of the morning to complete the ceremony. Creating portals wasn't easy.

"Let's begin, Kovu," Yuki said. "Soon now, Sierra will be in my grasp."

* * *

M'kay, just thought I'd let you all know that this story is nearing its end. I don't see it last much more than thrity chapters, at the most. Of course how long it will take me to get these last chapters out is up for debate...


	23. Chapter 23

Kay, so, I don't think I'm going to make any more specific date promises. I'm just going to update when I can. I do plan to have this story finished before August though. I've sort of got things plotted out, and I'm thinking there will be about four of five more chapters at most.

Hope you all enjoy this terribly late chapter.

I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Yuki grinned triumphantly. "We're almost ready. I only need one more thing." She picked up a small knife. "Your arm, Kovu."

Kovu obediently held out his arm. Yuki cut his wrist and drained the blood into a small bowl.

"Your blood will call to her blood, and will finish opening the portal."

Yuki placed the bowl on the small table she was using for the ceremony. She knelt in front of it and began chanting. Slowly, lights began to swirl in front of her. They spread until a swirling purple and blue portal rippled the air.

Yuki stopped chanting, a small smile dancing on her face. "Go get her Kovu."

* * *

Inutaisho could barely restrain himself from running. They had traveled through the night, and now Sierra was just ahead.

"What's that noise?" Yumi asked.

"Singing," Mohkem replied. "They're practicing some kind of performance."

Inutaisho could faintly hear the sounds that Mohkem could apparently hear plainly. But then, dragon yokai were known for their amazing hearing abilities.

As they drew closer Inutaisho was able to make out Sierra's sweet voice amongst the others. Soon they had traveled to the edge of the tree line, and Inutaisho could see her. She looked happy, weaving among the other humans. Inutaisho was relieved, being able to see with his own eyes that she was all right.

Sierra turned so she was facing him and froze. All the color drained from her face.

Inutaisho felt a pang in his heart. Was she so upset to see him?

Sierra turned and ran, the confused humans calling after her. Inutaisho narrowed his eyes in anger. Did she honestly think he'd let her get away so easily after all he'd had to go through to find her?

Inutaisho started to run after her when an unexpected blow to his chest knocked him back. Blocking his was an angry looking dragon yokai, identical to Mohkem in every way except for coloring.

_I guess this is Seth._

Mohkem appeared between the two. "Whoa, Seth, no need to attack anyone. He's Sierra's brother."

Seth glared. "I don't care. He's not taking her back."  
Inutaisho's temper flared at that. "You have no right to keep her."

"As far as I'm concerned, your family has no right to her," Seth said. For someone with no canine blood in him, Seth was very good at snarling.

Inutaisho glared back, but a flicker of worry shot through him. What had Sierra told Seth to make him hate Inutaisho and the rest of his family so much? Because Inutaisho could see the hatred in Seth's eyes.

A sudden scream rent the air. Both Seth and Inutaisho took off, recognizing Sierra's voice. They mad it to the small copse of woods tat Sierra had run to, and found if filled with a green gas.

_What is this? This poison is like Father's and mine._

Inutaisho didn't take the time to think about the implications of this discovery. He did note however that the poison wasn't deadly; it would only knock someone out. A strong gust of wind got rid of it though.

Moving deeper, Inutaisho was just in time to see Sierra and a child disappear into a portal. He dashed forward to try and reach the portal, but it disappeared before he made it.

Inutaisho growled. He had finally found and now this! Inutaisho didn't know who had captured her, or where she had been taken.

Inutaisho heard a snarl behind him, and he turned to see Seth looking even angrier than Inutaisho felt. It took Inutaisho's mind a moment to figure out why. The child that had gotten pulled through the portal with Sierra had been a dragon yokai, so that meant in Seth's mind he had lost both his daughter and potential mate.

Black color began to seep into Seth's eyes and Mohkem grabbed his shoulder. "Going into a rage won't help things, Seth."

Seth didn't show signs of calming down, but he didn't show signs of getting worse either.

"What's bloody well going on?"

Inutaisho turned to see a rather large and hairy human glaring at all of them.

"And who are you?" Yumi asked.

"Name's Richard, I'm the leader of this Troupe. Now will someone explain what's going on?"

"Long story short," Mohkem said, "he's Sierra's brother, and they've come to take her home, but she and Seth's hatchling were just stolen by someone we don't know, nor do we know where they were taken."

Richard turned to Seth. "Seth, you can find Little Blue. The necklace you gave her, remember? It lets you track her down."

Richard's words seemed to calm Seth down, as the black color receded from his eyes. He seemed to concentrate, and then said, "Little Blue is two days flight from here."

Mohkem nodded. "Then we'll go get them."

Seth prepared to leap into the air, but Mohkem grabbed one of his wings. "They can't fly," he said, motioning to the others.

"And you think I care?" Seth snapped.

Mohkem rolled his eyes. "I'm not saying we walk. I'm saying we should transform and then carry them."

Seth shoved Mohkem away. "You carry them if you want. I won't." Seth took to the air and as son as he was airborne he shifted into his dragon form.

Mohkem sighed. "The really is no reasoning with him. I guess I'll have to carry you three by myself."

"Four," Richard said. "I'm not bloody well letting you do this without me."

"I'm not sure that's wise," Mohkem said.

"What you think doesn't bloody well matter. I care about Seth and Sierra, so I'm going whether you bloody well like it or not."

Mohkem smiled. "How can I say no to that? Let me find a spot where I can transform without breaking anything."

They left the woods and Richard went to a wagon where he spoke quickly to several people.

"He shouldn't be coming along," Yumi said. "He'll only get in the way."  
"It's Mohkem's choice," Rai said. "He's the one who has to carry everyone."

Richard walked back to where they were waiting, now with a bow almost as big as he was slung across his back.

"Ready?" Mohkem asked. He barely waited for Richard's nod. "Okay then, let's go." With that, Mohkem shifted into his dragon form. He was bigger than Inutaisho had expected. Mohkem could probably carry several more people than he was going to.

Mohkem crouched down. "Climb on," he ordered them.

They did, and Mohkem leapt into the air. Looking around, Inutaisho realized that Seth was out of sight already. Hopefully Mohkem would be able to catch up to him.

_At the very least, we won't be far behind him._

* * *

Sierra fought against the arms that held her, but she had to fight to stay awake as well. The gas the man had created had almost knocked her out instantly, but she'd managed to stay awake, if barely.

"Good job, Kovu, you brought her. But who is this?"

Sierra looked around and saw a human woman with long black hair. She was focused on Little Blue.

_Little Blue? How'd she get here?_

The woman reached for Little Blue, and Sierra felt a rush of anger. No one messed with Little Blue if Sierra had anything to do about it. Sierra didn't know who this woman was, but she knew she didn't want her anywhere near Little Blue.

"You stay away from her!" Sierra cried, lunging towards her. Her movements were restrained by the man's arms.

Still, the woman pulled back looking surprised. Then she laughed. "My, you are a little firebird aren't you? Unfortunately, you're only half conscious. I'll speak you later when you can think properly."

The man, Kovu, grabbed Little Blue's wrist and pulled her along as he walked out of the room they were in. He took them outside, and Sierra was able to register hat there were a lot of people, but not much else.

Kovu took them into a hut where other people were. He let go of Little Blue and set Sierra gently on the ground before walking away.

Little Blue instantly latched onto Sierra. Sierra wanted to comfort the girl, but simply staying awake was getting harder and harder to do.

_I'd best go ahead and sleep. The sooner I do, the sooner I'll wake up._

With a small sigh, Sierra let the darkness claim her.

* * *

Kit let his eyes roam over the village. H and the others had arrived early that morning, and Kit had decided to scout the area out.

There had been no exaggeration about Yuki's numbers. She had a lot of yokai at her command.

As Kit observed from his post in a tree, he saw the last person he would have expected to see. His hear almost topped when he recognized Sierra.

There was something wrong with her. She looked like she might be drunk, but Kit doubted that. Drugged was more likely. She was being supported by a hanyou who was also pulling along a dragon yokai child. He took them into a hut, and a few moments later he left alone.

Kit slipped out of the tree and went to where the others were waiting.

"What's wrong?" Kat asked him as soon as he arrived.

"They have Sierra," Kit told them.

Rin gasped and Kat paled.

"Sierra, as in your sister?" Kenji asked.

Ran nodded. "But she ran away. How could she have ended up here?"

Kit shook his head. "I don't know."

"What are we going to do?" Kat asked.

"You," Kit said, "are going to run as fast as you can to Father, and tell him what's happened. The rest of us are going to put on our thinking caps and try to come up with a plan."

* * *

Sesshomaru watched as the sun set. His army had traveled nonstop from the palace, but they were taking a break now. They would meet up with Yuki's army the next day, and Sesshomaru wanted his army rested for the inevitable fight.

He walked the perimeter of the camp observing those inside. Everything seemed to be running smoothly.

Sesshomaru stopped when e sensed a presence approaching, and quickly. A moment later he recognized it as Kat. Deciding not to wait, Sesshomaru left the camp to meet him.

They met some distance away from the camp. Kat looked tired, as though he'd been pushing himself hard.

"Father," he said quickly, "I know I'm in trouble, but before you start listing y punishments I have to give you a message."

Sesshomaru didn't speak, waiting for Kat to finish.

"Yuki has Sierra."

Sesshomaru barely kept his mask in place, though he couldn't stop his eyes from widening. How had this happened? And if Sierra was here, where was Inutaisho?

"You are certain?"

Kat nodded. "Kit saw her."

Sesshomaru didn't bother t ask where Kit was now. Likely he and the others were trying to come up with a way to rescue her. As foolish as the attempt was, Sesshomaru hoped they would succeed. He didn't know how well he could fight if Sierra was in danger.

"Did you see their camp?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kit nodded. "Yes sir."  
"Come," Sesshomaru ordered. He started back to camp. Any information he could gain about Yuki's forces would help. When they got to camp Sesshomaru called for Hiro, Inuyasha, and Kagome to follow him as well. They had some planning to do.

* * *

When Sierra woke up she was first aware of the sound of voices. They seemed to blend together in an unfamiliar mass, but one voice she new well broke through.

"Why won't she wake up?" Little Blue asked.

Sierra opened her eyes to see Little Blue leaning over her, worry creasing he face. The expression changed to relief when she saw Sierra was awake.

"Are you okay?" Little Blue asked.

Sierra sat up. "I'm fine. What about you?"

"I'm okay," Little Blue said, but Sierra could see she was frightened.

Sierra looked around and saw that they were in a small house along with quite a few other humans. A man and woman were sitting nearest to her.

"Hello," the man said. "My name is Miroku, and this is my wife, Sango."

Sierra blinked. "Do you know Uncle Inuyasha and Aunt Kagome?"

Now it was Miroku and Sango's turn to look surprised. "Yes, we do," Sango said. "Are you Sierra then? Sesshomaru's daughter?"

Sierra nodded. There was no use trying to hide who she was from them. "Yes, I am. Can you tell me what's going on?"

"You don't know?" Miroku asked.

Sierra shook her head no.

"Then Shippo hasn't made it to the palace," Sango said frowning. "Sesshomaru must find out about this."

Sierra bit her lip. "I don't know if he made it or not. I haven't been at the palace for a while."

Miroku studied her. "And where have you been?"

Sierra felt uneasy with telling him, and wasn't sure how Little Blue was going to handle all this. "I ran away."

Again, Miroku and Sango looked surprised. "It seems we are both staring in the middle of our stories. Let me back up and explain."

Miroku told Sierra about everything that had happened to them, and Yuki's plan for destroying the West. Sierra couldn't help but wonder who Yuki was, and how she knew Sesshomaru. Sierra had never heard of her.

"Now then," Sango said. "Tell us what's been happening with you."

"From what you've told me, I think I ran away the day before you were attacked," Sierra said, carefully avoiding why she had run. "I've been in the North this whole time, so I hadn't heard about any of this. Then earlier today, I was suddenly captured by that man, what was his name? Kovu? Well, he pulled me and Little Blue…" Sierra stopped talking as a thought occurred to her. Kovu hadn't grabbed Little Blue.

Sierra turned to Little Blue. "How did you wind up going through the portal? I don't remember Kovu grabbing you."

"I jumped," Little Blue said with a smile.

"Little Blue, you shouldn't have done that," Sierra told her. "You should have stayed with the Troupe, safe."

"But this way Daddy will be able to find us," Little Blue said. "Remember my necklace? If I wasn't here Daddy wouldn't know how to find you."

_I wish Seth was here now,_ she thought, surprising herself. Whenever things had gone wrong in the past, Sierra had always longed for her Father to save her. When she'd been captured by bandits, Sierra had wished for Sesshomaru, even if it meant she had to go back home. But now it was Seth she wanted to save her. When had she stopped thinking of Sesshomaru as her protection and put Seth in his place?

Any more thought was stopped by the sound of the door opening. Sierra looked and recognized the man who had captured her. Now that her mind was clear, she was able to take in his appearance.

Sierra was somewhat surprised to see he was a hanyou. The white dog ears on top of his head made her think of Inuyasha. His hair was silver, but his bangs were midnight black. Oddly enough, his hair was short. Most yokai had long hair, especially inus. However, his bangs were still long enough that they covered his eyes.

He moved forward silently and crouched in front of her. Sierra still couldn't see his eyes, but she knew he was staring at her. "My Lady wishes to speak with you."

Sierra didn't particularly want to speak with Yuki, but it might get her some answers. Besides, Sierra didn't think it was optional.

Kovu stood and took Sierra's hand to help her up. But when she was standing he didn't let her hand go. He led her out of the hut and o a larger house. Inside the house was the human woman from before leaning back in a chair softened with cushions and holding a glass of wine.

The woman smiled at Sierra. "Good evening Sierra. Did you have a nice nap?"

"I've had better."

She laughed. "Do you know who I am?"

"I would assume Yuki."

Yuki nodded. "You assume correctly." She tilted her head to the side. "You know, I'd expected you to be angrier."

Sierra was a bit confused by Yuki's words. Sure she was angry about Yuki's attack on the West, but Sierra didn't know why Yuki would expect her to be more upset than she was.

"Is there a particular reason why I should hate you?" Sierra asked. "Other than the fact that you've attacked my home, of course."

Yuki stared, a look of wonder on her face. "You really don't know. I've watched you al this time, and I'd never realized that they hadn't told you."

Yuki began to laugh. "Oh, this is rich! This is perfect!" Yuki wiped tears of mirth from her eyes. "Let me explain. I first met you father when I was barely fifteen. He was so handsome, so powerful. I was more than willing to become his lover."

"Of course, out relationship had to be kept secret. I was in training to become a miko, and your father wouldn't have wanted anyone to know he was associating with me. We stayed together for a year, by which time I was convinced he was going to marry me. But that's when everything started to go wrong."

"First, the miko in charge of the shrine found out about my relationship and gave me a choice. I could end the relationship or leave the shrine. I left. Then, when your father arrived it was to inform me that our relationship was over. H no longer wanted anything to do with me."

"I was furious. I had given up everything for him, because I believed he loved me the way I loved him! But he didn't care! I couldn't just let him get away with that. So I bided my time, and when Lilianna was pregnant with you, I cursed you to be a human, just like me."

Yuki settled back in her chair, looking smug. "So, you see, Sierra, your curse is all my fault. Or should I say all Sesshomaru's fault?"

Sierra stood there, stunned. The only coherent thought she could form was, _So that's why._

That's why she was human. That's why Sesshomaru had refused to explain her curse. That's why she had spent her whole life feeling rejected and alone.

It wasn't Sierra's fault at all. She hadn't done anything wrong. She was a victim. It wasn't her fault.

It was Sesshomaru's fault. His and Yuki's. It was their actions that had caused all her pain.

Anger and resentment roiled through her. It wasn't fair that Yuki had cursed her. It wasn't her actions that had caused Yuki pain. It wasn't fair that Sesshomaru hadn't loved her. After all it was his fault that she'd been born a human in the first place.

If she'd never been born a human, she'd never have suffered so much. She would have been accepted by her family and by the other yokai at the palace. She never would have been lonely. Her life would have been completely different. She would never have felt the need to run away.

That thought pulled Sierra up short. If she hadn't run away, she would have never met the Troupe, or Little Blue and Seth. Though she'd only known them a short time, Sierra couldn't imagine her life without them.

If she had never run away, Sierra wouldn't have found out that she enjoyed cooking, or that acting was so much fun. She'd probably never have found such good and welcoming people anywhere else.

And if Sierra hadn't been cursed, more than likely she'd never have met Inuyasha, Kagome, Isamu, or Ran. If they'd never come to the palace, then Shen and Isamu would never have fallen in love with each other.

It was true that the curse had caused much pain throughout Sierra's life, but it had also given her happiness and experiences that she would never have experienced if she'd been a yokai.

Sierra felt her anger draining away. She could rant and rail, and swear vengeance upon Yuki, but what good would that do? She would always be human, and nothing could change that fact. So Sierra couldn't bring herself to hate Yuki. Whether Yuki realized it or not, she'd actually done good for Sierra.

"What no tantrum? No rage?" Yuki asked.

It occurred to Sierra then that Yuki wanted to see her lose her cool. Well, Sierra wasn't going to give her that satisfaction.

Instead, Sierra smiled at Yuki. "No, no tantrum. Actually, I'm grateful to you." As she said it, Sierra realized it was true. She was grateful.

Yuki looked shocked. "You are?"

"Yes, I am. Thanks to this curse I've had experiences I never would have had if I'd been born normal. I'd be lying if I said this curse hasn't caused me any pain but…" Thoughts of Seth flitted through her mind. "But I've decided the good that's happened outweighs the bad. After all, if this hadn't happened, I might never have met the man I've fallen in love with."

Yuki's eyes narrowed as she studied Sierra. Sierra stood still and quiet, not knowing how Yuki was going to react. Finally Yuki looked away pouting. "Take her away, Kovu," she ordered petulantly.

Kovu bowed and gently took Sierra's elbow and led her out the house. However, he didn't take her back to the hut where the others were being kept prisoner. Instead he led her outside the camp to a secluded area.

Sierra was feeling nervous. What was Kovu doing? Was he planning to hurt her somehow? Sierra had no illusions about her own strength, and knew that Kovu could easily harm her.

Kovu stopped walking once they were alone. He let go of her arm and turned to face her. "Do you know me?" he asked quietly.

Sierra was confused. What sort of a question was that? "Excuse me?"

Kovu reached up and brushed his bangs away from his eyes. "Do you know me?"

The first thing she noticed was the scar. It was a vertical slash over his right eye. Then she looked into his eyes and her breath caught in her throat. She knew those eyes. She had seen them almost every day of her life, only on Sesshomaru. Every tiny detail of those eyes was the same, and suddenly, Sierra understood how the head miko had found out about Yuki's tryst with Sesshomaru.

"You're my brother."

A ghost of a smile showed on Kovu's face. "I'm the reason the miko found out about my Lady and Sesshomaru. My Lady couldn't hide the pregnancy of a hanyou from experienced mikos. They would have forgiven her if she had been willing to give me up as well as Sesshomaru. She wasn't willing to give u either of us at the time."

Kovu looked away. "Not that that's a problem anymore. She hates both of us."

"Why would she hate you?" Sierra asked.

"She believes that Sesshomaru left her because of me; because he hates half breeds. Personally, I think he just got bored with her."

"He couldn't have known," Sierra said. "About you I mean. Father wouldn't have just left you."

Kovu laughed a short bitter laugh. "Wouldn't he? Why should he have cared about me? Not only was I a hanyou, but an illegitimate one at that. I would have caused more problems than you, not to mention that your mother probably wouldn't have wanted him if I was around. It was much more convenient for him if no one knew about me. Really, I'm lucky he didn't kill me before I was born."

What Kovu said made sense, but it didn't sound right. Sierra knew that Sesshomaru highly valued duty and honor, and he would have been duty bound to take care of Kovu at least. Sierra felt certain that Sesshomaru hadn't realized that Yuki was pregnant.

"How did you get that scar?" Sierra asked. It must have been a bad wound. Hanyou didn't scar easily.

Kovu touched the scar. "My Lady gave it to me for looking at her."

Sierra's jaw dropped. "Just for looking at her?"

Kovu shrugged as though it didn't matter. "She dislikes my eyes."

Suddenly Kovu stiffened. He whirled around just in time to catch a staff that had been aimed at his head. A man Sierra didn't know was holding it.

Sierra didn't have time to notice anything else, as she felt arms wrap around her and jerk her away from Kovu. She looked up with wide eyes. "Kit!"

Kit ran with her through the trees, the scenery blurring by. Suddenly, Kovu was beside them. Apparently the man with the staff hadn't been too much trouble for him.

Kovu lashed out at Kit with his claws, and Kit dodged by jumping back.

"Give her back and I won't kill you," Kovu said.

Kit pushed Sierra behind him. "You're the one that will die." Twin swords appeared in Kit's hands as he lunged at Kovu.

Sierra was rooted to the spot. For some reason she didn't want Kovu to die. But of course she also didn't want Kit to be killed either.

Before Sierra could decide what to do, she felt someone pull on her arm. Sierra turned to see Ran. "Come on," she hissed. "Kit and the others will take care of him."

_Others? What others? _Sierra looked back to see that the man with the staff and another human had joined the fray. Kovu was holding them off, but barely.

Then Kit managed to get behind him. H raised his swords for a killing blow, and Sierra felt panic swarm her. "Don't kill him!" she screamed pulling away from Ran.

Her shout distracted Kit and gave Kovu the chance to hit him, knocking Kit back. Then Kovu shot out a green gas from his hands into the faces of the two humans causing them to collapse. By that time Kit was back up and attacking Kovu again, but Sierra threw herself between the combatants, who just barely managed to stop their attacks.

_That was probably the stupidest thing I've ever done,_ she thought.

"Stop it, just stop it!" she said out loud.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kit snarled.

What was she doing? Family or not, Kovu was the enemy. He was the one who had kidnapped her. Kit was trying to rescue her.

_Wait, rescue…Little Blue!_

She couldn't be rescued now! Little Blue was still in the camp, and Serra would never forgive herself if she abandoned the girl.

"I'm going back with Kovu, and that's finale," Sierra said.

"What?" Ran shrieked from beside the fallen humans.

"Have you lost your mind?" Kit asked.

"Little Blue is still in the camp, and I won't leave her," Sierra said. For some reason Sierra didn't mind Kovu knowing her weakness. She didn't think he'd take advantage of it.

"Who is Little Blue?" Kit asked, his frustration clearly showing."

Kovu tugged her hand. "Come."

"Oh, no you don't," Kit said, moving to attack.

Kovu dashed forward moving faster than before, and knocked the swords out of Kit's hands. Dimly Sierra realized that Kovu hadn't been fighting at full strength before.

Before Kit could recover from Kovu's counter attack, Kovu had him up by the neck.

"Kovu, don't!" Sierra cried.

Kovu didn't make any make any move to harm Kit, but said something to low for Sierra to hear. Kit's eyes widened and Kovu dropped him, stunned, to the ground.

Kovu walked back t Sierra and pulled her along with him. Sierra glanced back, but neither Ran nor Kit was making any move to stop them.

When they were almost back at the camp, they ran into young looking girl. "I heard noises Kovu. What was going on?"

"It does not concern you, Eriko," Kovu said.

Eriko frowned. "Would you like me to take this to Lady Yuki?"

Kovu tugged Sierra closer to him. "I doubt she'd care."

Eriko's eyes flicked back and forth between Kovu and Sierra, and then they widened and she looked disgusted. "I don't want to know."

Eriko quickly walked away and Kovu began leading a shocked Sierra back to the hut where the prisoners were kept. Had Kovu just implied that they'd been…_together?_ That was just sickening. Maybe they were only half siblings, but they were still siblings. Sierra would never even consider doing something like that.

_But I guess saying that did keep Eriko from finding Kit and Ran…_

It was still gross.

Kovu left her in the hut and Sierra sat down in her previous spot by Miroku and Sango. Little Blue climbed into her lap.

"Are you okay?" Sango asked. "You were gone for a while."

"I'm okay," Sierra said. "Yuki just wanted to gloat."

She didn't say anything about her near rescue or Kovu. Sierra didn't want to talk about any of it with them, though that's where her thoughts remained.

_If Kit and Ran are here, that must mean Father and Uncle Inuyasha are near._

Sierra felt a mixture of relief and dread at the thought. Yuki needed to be stopped, but Sierra didn't want to go through the confrontation with Sesshomaru that was sure to follow any rescue. Her emotions were still too raw from the new revelations.

She did want to confront him about her curse. She wanted to find out why he'd never told her the truth and let her think it was all her own fault. But she didn't want that talk to happen right now.

Sierra sighed with frustration. _I wish Seth were here. I just know he'd be able to set things right._

* * *

Kit sat where he'd landed feeling numb. It just couldn't be; it wasn't possible, and yet somehow…

Dimly he became aware of Ran shaking him. "Kit! Kit!"

"I'm fine," he said standing up. It was a lie, and he was fairly certain Ran knew it.

"Masashi and Kenji are both unconscious. We need to get them back to our camp."

Kit nodded and picked up their weapons as Ran most likely wouldn't be able to touch them. Then he picked up Masashi and asked, "Can you carry Kenji?" She should be able to as Kenji was light and Ran was a bit stronger than the average human.

"I can carry him," she said picking him up.

They went back t their camp and set the guys down.

"Kit," Ran finally said. "What did he say to you?"

Kit stilled as he remembered the words. _"I think Father would be ashamed of your performance in this fight, little brother."_

Kit wanted to deny Kovu's claim of kinship, but he couldn't ignore the proof that his eyes and nose gave him.

And Sierra…Suddenly Kit realized Sierra had known. That's why she had screamed for him not to kill Kovu.

Kit wondered if Sesshomaru knew about Kovu. How could someone not know about their own child? But if Sesshomaru had known wouldn't he have taken care of Kovu? Then again Kovu was an illegitimate half breed. It was all to possible that Sesshomaru would have wanted nothing to do with him.

"Kit?" Ran asked.

Kit glanced at her. "He didn't say anything."

Kit knew that Ran could see the lie for what it was, but she didn't say anything, for which he was grateful. He didn't want to talk about this just yet.

* * *

Isamu was pleased with the plan they'd come up with. It wasn't exactly foolproof, but it stood a good chance of working.

Isamu glanced around the corner of the palace towards the guardhouse. All clear and quiet. Isamu smiled. No doubt the herbs that the cooks had put in the guards food was taking effect. Isamu almost felt sorry for them.

She went to the door and placed several sutras on it. That wouldn't hold the yokai back for forever, but as sick as they likely were, Isamu doubted they'd be trying to leave.

The first part of her job done, Isamu went back into the palace. It was time to do her other job.

Isamu had insisted that she be the one to capture Hayate. As a miko, this was the sort of thing she was trained for.

Isamu snuck up to Sesshomaru and Lilianna's room, which Hayate had commandeered. She had planned to listen by the door to see what was going on inside, but the door slammed open before she reached it.

Hayate leaned against the doorway, pale and trembling. "The cooks," he snarled. "They've poisoned me. I'll kill them for this; I'll kill all of the servants."

He pushed himself up and stepped forward, only to be knocked back by a blast of Isamu's purifying energy. He pushed himself off the ground, his body steaming, recovering faster than Isamu had expected.

His eyes looked around wildly. "Where are you miko?"

_Right, like I' just going to say 'Here I am!' and let you kill me._

Isamu backed away carefully. She didn't want Hayate to get her with a lucky wipe of his claws.

It turned out to be a wise move as Hayate's claws sliced the area her arm ad been in seconds before. Hayate stumbled after completing the move, and Isamu lanced him with purification energy again.

Hayate fell back, badly burned this time. "I'll kill you witch."

Isamu wasn't worried. Hayate couldn't stand, much less harm her. She walked forward, prepared to finish Hayate off, but he suddenly lunged at her, flames shooting from his fist.

Isamu fell to the ground with a startled cry. Hayate had tricked her, letting her think him weaker than he truly as. But Isamu wouldn't have time to regret her mistake as Hayate's claws were about to plunge into her chest.

A blur knocked Hayate away from Isamu. She sat up to see Shen standing in front of her.

"You're doe, Hayate," he growled.

Moving so fast that to Isamu he disappeared, Shen appeared behind Hayate and lamed his head into the floor, knocking him out cold.

Isamu stood up and pulled her bracelet off. "Thank you Shen," she said.

Shen appeared in front of her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Isamu nodded. "He didn't hurt me."

Shen looked relieved, and hugged her tightly. Then he pushed her back looking angry. "Why didn't you leave?"

Isamu looked up at him calmly. "Would you have left me?"

Some of Shen's anger evaporated. "No, I wouldn't. But you shouldn't have gone after Hayate on your own."

Isamu had to admit that she'd underestimated Hayate, and that mistake had almost caused her death. But she'd known that Hayate had hurt Shen, so she'd wanted to get revenge herself. Now wasn't the time to talk about this though.

"We'll finish this conversation later. Right now you need to arrest Hayate."

She picked up Hayate's limp form and tossed him over his shoulder. They walked to the main hall where Lilianna was giving out orders, and Shen dumped Hayate at her feet.

"What shall I do with the traitor, my Lady?"

Lilianna sent Hayate a look of disgust. "Someone wake him up."

Sapphire created a ball of water and dropped it on his head. Hayate woke with a groan.

"Congratulations, Hayate," Lilianna said. "You managed to rule the West for one day."

Hayate glared at her, but didn't move or speak.

"Normally I'd wait for Sesshomaru o return so he could pass judgment; however I don't think he'll mind if I make this an exception. Fr your crimes, Hayate, you are to bbe executed immediately."

She turned her back on him, and then Hayate did something no one had been expecting. E lunged at Lilianna, intending to kill her. Lilianna spun around, and Hayate stopped mid leap. Isamu stared at the vines that were now growing out of Hayate's back with a morbid fascination.

"I told you, Hayate," Lilianna said coldly. "You don't have what it takes to rule."

The vines pulled out of Hayate and wrapped around Lilianna's wrist turning back into the bracelet she always wore. Hayate fell to the floor, blood poling around his body.

"Someone clean that up," Lilianna ordered.

Isamu backed away, feeling slightly sickened. It wasn't the first time she'd seen someone die, but it was the bloodiest death she had ever seen.

Isamu slipped outside wanting a breath of fresh air. Closing her eyes, Isamu relaxed. The danger was now past. The rebellion was over. A smile crossed her face as she thought about her parents reactions when they found out what had happened here. No doubt Sesshomaru was going to be infuriated.

Thinking of Sesshomaru made her think of Sierra.

_It's probably a good thing Sierra wasn't here. No doubt Hayate would have killed her right away. As I recall from Mom and Dad's talks, he had wanted her killed when she was a baby because she was human._

Thinking about Hayate and Sierra at the same time set off warning bells in Isamu's mind, but she couldn't figure why exactly. Hayate was dead, and Sierra nowhere near the palace. It made no sense that Isamu should think him any sort of danger to Sierra.

"Is something wrong?"

Isamu turned to see Shen looking down at her, concern lighting his eyes.

"I'm fine Shen. I just can't shake the feeling that we're missing something, something Hayate did that has Sierra in danger. But that's foolishness, I know. What could Hayate of done that would endanger Sierra when she's not even here?"

Shen's eyes widened. "Yumi."

"Yumi?" Isamu asked.

"She's Hayate's daughter. And I sent her with Inutaisho and Rai to find Sierra, at Hayate's request."

* * *

So, did any of you see the whole thing about Kovu coming? I thought it was completely obvious simply by he fact that he was a hanyou in Yuki's company, but then again, I am writing the thing.

I hope you all enjoyed, and please review!


	24. Chapter 24

After a long absence, I have brought you he new chapter! Thanks to everyone who's kept waiting for this chapter, and a special thanks to Syco. Without her necessary, and sometimes painful, prodding, this chapter would have taken even longer to get out.

Enjoy!

* * *

Sesshomaru stood at the edge of the camp, watching the sun rise above the horizon, painting it with shades of amber, orange, lavender, and blue. He could hear birds chirping their melodious songs as they flittered through the tree tops. It promised to be a beautiful day.

It promised to be a day that rained blood.

Sesshomaru turned on his heel and walked back in the camp. Hiro was getting the soldiers set into ranks, ready to march. They were split into two companies, one to be led by Sesshomaru, the other by Hiro. Sesshomaru would lead his force in from the northern side of the village, and Hiro the southern. In this way they would hopefully trap the yokai, and finish this in one battle.

From Kat's report, Sesshomaru knew his army was greatly outnumbered. However, he also knew that most of the yokai were extraordinarily weak and that, one on one, the average human warrior would most likely be able to defeat them. The only reason the human villages had fallen was because of Yuki's numbers. His army was much stronger, though, and Sesshomaru was confident they could win.

Sesshomaru espied Inuyasha and Kagome standing with Kat, and that fox, Shippo. Sesshomaru had almost forgotten that he'd come. Inuyasha caught his eyes, and raised one brow in open question. Sesshomaru scowled. It still insulted his pride to have a half breed question whether he was capable of battling.

"Hiro," Sesshomaru called. Hiro instantly turned to him. "Are they ready to move out?"

Hiro nodded. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru. All is ready."

Sesshomaru gave a curt nod. "Then let's go."

* * *

Sierra woke up because something was painfully jabbing her leg. She had been curled in a ball on her side, and she grimaced when she stretched her legs out.

_What was I lying on?_

Sierra studied the ground, but didn't see anything. Then it clicked in her mind. The knives that Inuyasha had given her! She had taken to keeping them strapped to her legs, it had been Ai's suggestion, but in her panic when Kovu kidnapped her, she'd forgotten them completely.

_I can't believe I forgot them. If I'd used them then the others might have gotten to me in time, and Little Blue and I wouldn't be in this mess._

Well, Sierra wouldn't forget them again. She'd be on the lookout for the opportunity to use them. Not that she had any great skill with her knives, though she had improved some thanks to Agol. But if she caught someone by surprise, she could do some damage before they reacted. As she'd once heard Shen say, many a great warrior had fallen because some novice got behind his back.

Her reverie was broken when Kovu opened the door and walked in, waking most of the captives in the process. "You will come with me," he said to Sierra.

Little Blue latched onto her arm. "Don't go," she whimpered

Sierra's heart twisted to see Little Blue's tear filled eyes. She wanted to stay with her, but Sierra knew resisting would be useless. Gently she set Little Blue aside. "Don't worry, Little Blue, I'll be back."

Sierra stood and followed Kovu out the door. Squinting her eyes against the morning glare, Sierra was surprised to see the yokai rushing about, and Yuki standing in the center of the town, overseeing it all. Kovu led her to Yuki.

Yuki turned with a smile to Sierra, a wild light in her eyes. "Do you know what's going on, Sierra?"

"No ma'am."

"Oh, come now, surely you can guess?" Yuki said clapping her hands together. "Your father is coming to attack my army."

Sierra stared at her. If there had been any doubt about Yuki's sanity before, it was gone now. "I wouldn't have thought that would make you happy."

Yuki giggled. "Of course it makes me happy, you silly girl. How is Sesshomaru supposed to watch me kill you if he's not here?"

Sierra didn't have a reply for that statement. It hadn't occurred to her that that was why Yuki would want her there, though she should have realized that it had something to do with getting revenge on Sesshomaru.

"My scouts have reported that Sesshomaru is coming from the north. Let us go meet him, shall we?"

* * *

Inuyasha walked stealthily to Hiro's right, Kagome on Hiro's left. The three of them would be leading the charge from the south. Hiro raised his hand for them to stop, just as Inuyasha's ears detected someone coming. A quick sniff of the air revealed Kit, Ran, Masashi, and Kenji. The four appeared through the trees moments later.

Hiro glared at Kit. "Your father is going to have some strong words for you, pup."

Surprisingly, Kit didn't flinch away from Hiro's rebuke. "No more than I'll have for him," he said dryly.

Ran spoke up quickly, no doubt to stop the useless fight that was about to follow Kit's challenge. "We know where the prisoners are being kept."

That caught Inuyasha and Kagome's attention, at least. "Where?" he asked her.

"It's one of the few huts that haven't been destroyed," Masashi answered. "The one closest to us now."

"We will do our best to secure it," Hiro said, "however that is not the priority here. Our main goal is to destroy the army."

"Even at the cost of innocent lives?" Kagome asked incredulously.

Hiro looked at her coolly. "At the cost of anyone's life. If this army is not destroyed, the West will not be safe. Whatever sacrifices need to be made to secure that goal, will be made. Now we have wasted enough time talking. Let's get a move on."

Hiro started walking again, and Kagome glared at his back, a familiar fire in her eyes. Inuyasha knew that look, just as he knew that she would station herself with the prisoners and protect them at all costs. And Inuyasha also knew he'd be right there with her.

* * *

Sierra stood slightly behind Yuki, with Kovu at her back, and that girl, Eriko, to the right. The day was becoming uncomfortably hot, or was it the tension that made her sweat so?

All around her, it was silent. She couldn't hear any sound, not a bird, not an insect, even the yokai were silent in anticipation. Sierra wished something, anything, would break the silence. And then something did.

There was a roar from behind, and Sierra turned to see…well, she couldn't really much. She could tell that the yokai were fighting, but whether they were fighting each other or someone else was impossible to see.

"It's starting," Yuki said with a smile. "Eriko, won't you take care of the ones in the back."

Eriko curtsied. "Of course, my Lady." Then she disappeared.

A similar roar began in front of them, and Yuki's smile became a grin. "He's coming."

Sierra watched the crowd, and as with the fight going on behind them, couldn't really tell what was going on. However, soon there was a noticeable change. Huge flashes of energy were destroying tons of yokai at a time, cutting a straight path toward where she stood with Yuki and Kovu.

Sierra had never seen her father fight, she knew almost nothing about his fighting style, but she had no doubt that these blasts of energy were from him. He was coming for Yuki, and he was coming for her.

It didn't seem to take very long before Sierra could see him, surrounded by enemies. The way he moved with his sword, as though it were an extension of himself, seemed to Sierra like an exotic dance.

_A very deadly dance, _she thought as yokai disintegrated around him.

At last Sesshomaru broke through the last ranks of the yokai, and there was only abut thirty paces of space between Sierra and him. He didn't look at her though. His eyes were glued on Yuki.

Yuki smiled at him. "Hello Sesshomaru. It has been a long time, has it not?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "Die."

He raised his sword and started forward, only to freeze at the same moment Sierra felt Kovu's claws press against her neck.

Yuki shook a finger at him, as if she were reprimanding a small child. "Oh, no, Sesshomaru, none of that just yet. We're going to play differently. But before we play, there is someone I'd like to introduce you to." Yuki placed a hand on Kovu's shoulder. "This is Kovu, your eldest son."

Sesshomaru barely reacted to the news, but the widening of his eyes let Sierra know he was very shocked to hear those words.

_I knew it. I knew he couldn't know about Kovu._

"Oh, don't look so surprised, Sesshomaru. I know you knew I was pregnant when you left me. That's why you left me after all."

Sesshomaru didn't respond, but kept his eyes on all three of them. Sierra felt a moment of uncertainty. Was Sesshomaru refusing to argue because he didn't think Yuki worth arguing with, or was it because Yuki was actually telling the truth?

* * *

Sesshomaru watched Yuki, his emotions raging. He was furious at Yuki, fearful for Sierra's life, and shocked to the core to be told Kovu was his son. Despite what Yuki believed, he hadn't known that she was pregnant. He'd left her because he fell in love with Lilianna.

There was no point in trying to explain this to Yuki though. She was insane, so why bother? She probably wouldn't believe him anyways.

What was important was getting the two away from Sierra. Sesshomaru didn't have any way to do that at the moment without risking her life though.

Yuki unsheathed dagger and held it in front of Sierra and then spoke to Sesshomaru, "Before you can attack me, you must defeat Kovu."

Defeat Kovu? This didn't make any sense. Of course Sesshomaru could defeat Kovu. Kovu was barely more than a pup, and like as not, barely trained. Sesshomaru could defeat Kovu without even breaking a sweat.

Sesshomaru sheathed his sword, its attacks were to powerful to use this close to Sierra, and besides, Kovu didn't have a weapon. How Kovu possibly thought he could win without one, Sesshomaru didn't know.

Kovu rushed him and threw a punch that Sesshomaru easily blocked before he knocked Kovu back. Sesshomaru was puzzled once more. There hadn't been enough force behind Kovu's punch. After all, Inuyasha was a half breed as well, and he'd hit Sesshomaru much harder, and faster, than Kovu had tried to do. Either Kovu had seriously underestimated Sesshomaru, or he wasn't even trying.

Kovu attacked again, the same weak attempt. Sesshomaru decided that Kovu wasn't trying. Kovu understood that this would end with his defeat, and so wasn't fighting at full power. This disappointed Sesshomaru somewhat. Kovu should at least try to win. Why fight at all if you weren't going to try? You might as well lie down and die. It made no more sense than Yuki forcing this fight in the first place.

But with a glance at Yuki's savage grin, and suddenly, it did make sense. Yuki wanted him to kill Kovu. She wanted to watch him murder his son, and Kovu knew. What had Yuki done to Kovu to make him agree to such a scheme? It was tantamount to suicide. Did Kovu even care if he died? One look at his already dead eyes told Sesshomaru no, Kovu didn't care.

Sesshomaru caught both of Kovu's arms and held him, pinned. He glared at Yuki. "I will not kill him to please you."

Yuki just smiled. Sudden pain lanced up Sesshomaru's arms, and he shoved Kovu away from him.

_He used purification energy? But how?_

Yuki laughed. "Surprised? I certainly was. It seems Kovu has the ability to use both spiritual energy and yokai. Personally I've never heard of such a thing. I suppose it just makes him more of a freak than he already is though."

* * *

Sierra watched everything through wide eyes. Were Sesshomaru and Kovu really going to try and kill each other? Judging by Sesshomaru's glare and Kovu's apparent acceptance, they were.

_No! I can't let that happen! I have to stop them somehow!_

But what could she possibly do? She was helpless.

_No, not quite helpless._

Yuki's attention was fully focused on Sesshomaru and Kovu. She had lowered the knife some. Sierra could reach one of her knives and stab Yuki. She could end this.

_But Yuki's knife is still so close. She could stab me after I stab her._

But did her safety really matter more than that of her family? Could she truly hold her own life above theirs?

_I'm sorry everyone. I will end this._

Sierra inched her hand towards the slit in her kimono. Reaching in, she grasped the handle of her knife.

_Now!_

Sierra yanked the knife out and plunged it into Yuki's side. Yuki let out a scream of pain, and her own knife came down before Sierra could move, sinking deep into Sierra's chest.

Sierra fell back and hit the ground with a thud, the surrounding sounds suddenly muted in her ears. She'd always known being stabbed would hurt, it would have to hurt, but she'd never thought it would hurt this bad. Still, with each faltering beat of her heart, the pain became less and less.

Sierra's eyes couldn't focus on any one thing for more than a few seconds. She got a glimpse of Kovu's face, desperation and horror mingled into one. She saw Sesshomaru, who looked as if he was the one who'd been stabbed.

A distant roaring filled her ears and Sierra saw a dragon circle in the sky.

_I never told Seth that I love him…I didn't tell Little Blue either…Now I'll never get to._

One thing did come into clear sharp focus while everyone else faded away. It was a man, covered in a black robe, a hood hiding his face. Red eyes glowed as he walked slowly, deliberately, towards her.

Understanding washed over Sierra. He was Death. He had come to take her away forever. Surprisingly, she wasn't scared. Rather, she was filled with a deep regret for all the things she'd never done or said, and would never do or say.

But then Death stopped moving, and a warmth filled Sierra's chest. It spread from her chest to every other part of her body, filling her completely. The heat gained strength, and the hotter it burned, the farther away Death moved from her, until he turned his back on her completely.

The heat turned to flames, and Sierra felt as if an inferno had been lit inside of her. Opening her mouth, she took a deep breath, and did what she had been too weak to do before. She screamed. And then of course, she fainted.

* * *

Sierra opened her eyes, and found herself looking up at the dull colored canvas of a tent. Turning her head, she found Kagome sitting beside her.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Kagome hugged her tightly. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine," Sierra said. "I feel like I just had the best night sleep ever."

Kagome pulled back and looked at her, and then her eyes hardened. "How could you do something so stupid? Do you have any idea what almost happened?"

Sierra thought of the red eyed man she'd seen. "Yeah. But it was the right thing to do." Then a thought occurred to her. "Wait…why do I feel so good? Shouldn't I be in a lot of pain?"

Kagome shrugged. "Kovu healed you. Though I don't understand how he has both spiritual and yokai abilities…"

"Is the battle over?" Sierra asked. "What happened after I was stabbed?"

"We got reinforcements," Kagome replied. "Two dragon yokai showed up, along with Inutaisho, Rai, Yumi, and a human named Richard. The dragons pretty much destroyed the army single handedly. By the way, that reminds me. There are some people waiting outside to make sure you're okay, if you'd like to see them."

Sierra stood, eager to see everyone and make sure they were okay. She walked outside and was stunned by the sight. Inuyasha, Hiro, a kitsune she didn't know, Ran, Miroku and Sango with a group she assumed were their sons, Inutaisho, Kit, Kat, Rai, Yumi, Richard, Seth, Little Blue, and another dragon yokai she didn't know were all there. Everyone waiting to make sure she was okay…Everyone save her father. Tears blurred her eyes, and Sierra didn't know if they were of joy or pain.

Instantly she was surrounded by people.

"Stupid, were you trying to get yourself killed?" Inuyasha snapped.

"It is good to see you safe," Hiro said.

Ran hugged her. "I was so worried about you!"

Kit and Kat joined in the group hug; for once the twins were lost for words.

"You're never leaving the palace for this," Inutaisho growled.

Richard elbowed his way through the crowd. "Tis good to see you lass!" He nearly crushed her in his hairy but loving embrace. "And congrats on doing in that bloody witch!" He winked at her. "But I think that there's someone who might go homicidal on us if he doesn't get to you bloody soon."

Richard shoved Sierra away into Seth's waiting arms. Sierra looked up at him uncertainly. Seth didn't say anything, but leaned down and pressed his lips hard against hers. Having never been kissed before, save for the time Seth had kissed her neck and jaw, Sierra was blown away by the passion Seth put into it, and her body melted into his. He pulled back slightly. "Don't you ever do this to me again."

"I won't," Sierra promised. Then she became aware of the rather loud silence surrounding them. She looked, and her face turned beet red as she saw the open mouthed shock staring back at her. Only Richard, the as yet unnamed dragon yokai, and Little Blue didn't look surprised. The three actually looked rather pleased.

Embarrassed, Sierra moved away from Seth, which he allowed reluctantly. It wasn't a moment too soon, as Sesshomaru then walked up. All attention switched from Sierra and Seth to him. Sierra felt her chest tighten. Would he speak to her? What would she say to him?

Sesshomaru didn't as much as glance at her. "Hiro, Inuyasha, Kagome, I must speak with you."

He turned to walk away, and Sierra felt it like a physical blow. She'd almost died, and he didn't care?

"What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha snapped, and Sesshomaru stopped moving. "Your daughter almost died, and you don't even speak to her? Do you even care that Sierra was nearly killed?"

When Sesshomaru moved, he was like lightning. One moment he was standing with his back to them the next he had Inuyasha in the air, holding him by the throat, his eyes glowing a murderous red. "Don't you dare speak to me," Sesshomaru snarled, before dropping Inuyasha to the ground and stalking away.

Sierra felt Seth place his hands on her arms and realized she'd been shivering from fear. She'd never seen her father like that.

_What was that about?_

* * *

Sesshomaru stalked away from them, enraged. He didn't need Inuyasha to say that Sierra had nearly died; the image was branded into his mind.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it again. Saw the knife handle protruding from her chest, saw her face twist with pain, saw her fall to the ground, saw the life seeping out of her eyes. He felt the overwhelming helplessness of not being able to save his daughter's life.

True, he would have been able to bring her back with Tenseiga. But she would have still _died._ He would have still failed her; had still failed her in fact. It was Kovu, not Sesshomaru that had saved Sierra's life.

As relieved as he was that she was finally safe, Sesshomaru couldn't look at her right now without seeing death's shadow hang over her, and Sesshomaru didn't want to see that. This had only served to remind him that Sierra would die one day, and that day was soon. She had perhaps sixty years of life left to her.

A part of Sesshomaru had hoped that with Yuki's death, Sierra would shed her human form and become the yokai she should have always been, but that hadn't happened. Sierra would never be anything but human, and humans died. That was not a reality Sesshomaru wanted to face. It was not a reality that he was ready to face, just as he wasn't ready to face Sierra now.

* * *

Lilianna stood on top of the wall surrounding the palace, watching the road. It had been a week since Sesshomaru had left, and while she knew it could be much longer than a week before he returned, Lilianna waited for him anyways. She wanted to be sure she'd know the moment he'd arrived.

So it was that Lilianna was able to see one of the strangest sights that likely had ever been seen in all of Japan. A parade of wagons, all containing humans it seemed, driving down the main street of a yokai capital city, right towards the palace.

The wagons stopped in front of the gate, and a human woman in the lead wagon stood and called up to Lilianna, ignoring the guards that had stepped forward to greet her. "Are you the Lady of the West?"  
Lilianna replied coolly, "I am the Lady Lilianna. What business do you have with me?"

"I've come with news of your daughter, Sierra."

Lilianna nearly ran down the steps. "Let them in!" she called.

The gates swung open and Lilianna waited impatiently for the wagons to roll in. Once they were inside the gates, they parked in the garden, as that was the only area large enough for all of them

The woman who had spoken to Lilianna limbed down from her wagon and walked to where Lilianna waited. She was not a particularly pretty human, but she exuded such warmth and sincerity that Lilianna was certain immediately that she could trust her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Lilianna. My name is Sakura."

Lilianna inclined her head. "Likewise. Please come with me so that we may talk."

Before Lilianna could lead Sakura away, Shen appeared. "My Lady, may I ask what is going on?"

"We have guests, Shen. Please make sure they receive anything they might need."

Shen seemed slightly confused, but nodded in acceptance. "Of course, my Lady."

Lilianna led Sakura to her sitting room, and a servant entered the moment they were seated with a tea tray. After pouring tea for the two of them, the servant left.

"Forgive me if I seem rude," Lilianna said, "but I am eager to hear what you have to say about my daughter."

"Of course," Sakura said. "I do not know the full situation, but I will tell you what I know. After Sierra ran away from here, it seems she was caught by bandits. She was rescued by Seth, a dragon yokai that has been traveling with us. He found her because the bandits also caught his daughter, Little Blue. Sierra stayed with us then. Just a week ago, your son, I never heard his name, arrived at our camp to take her back. However, Sierra ran from him, and when she did she was captured by an unknown assailant and taken through a portal. Little Blue, Seth's daughter, was also taken. However, Seth can track them down thanks to a necklace Little Blue was wearing."

Sakura shrugged. "The last I saw of them, Seth, his brother, your son and my husband had left in order to rescue Sierra and Little Blue. Richard, that's my husband, thought it might be a good idea to inform you of what is going on."

She was quiet for a moment. "I am sorry that I could not bring you happier news, but I hope that by now they have rescued her."

Lilianna hoped so too. Worry clutched at her heart. Would Sierra be okay? Would Lilianna ever see her dear child again?

The door flew open, and Shen stood in the doorway, looking uncharacteristically flustered. "A scout just arrived. Lord Sesshomaru is at the city gates." Shen paused for a moment. "All your children are with him."

Forgetting any vestige of dignity, Lilianna shoved past Shen and literally ran down the hallway. Finally, her family was _home._

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I wasn't completely happy with the battle scene, but I like the way everything else turned out. I know some details about hte battle weren't resolved very well, such as 'where's Kovu?' and 'what happened to Eriko?' and all that jazz. But I'm addressing all those questions in the next chapter.

If there was anything in particular that confused you, let me know and I'll try to clear it up for you. I might even include it in the next chapter if it confused enough people...

Anyways, the next chapter is going to have the big talk between Sierra and her family that should have happened years ago. Hopefully, it won't take me as long to get this out as it took me to get this chapter done...


	25. Chapter 25

There was originally more that I wanted to do with this chapter, but I figured that when I hit eleven pages I could break it into two chapters instead of one. Which reminds me, I expect to type up one more chapter and an epolouge after this one. We're really close to the end. I hope you all enjoy the latest installment.

I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Once the battle was over, Sesshomaru's army spent a few days at the village, making things a little better for the humans. During this time, Sierra discovered more details that she hadn't thought to ask for earlier.

She discovered from Kagome that Miroku and Sango had killed Eriko. Apparently, they had wanted revenge upon Eriko for killing one of their sons. Kagome never gave Sierra any details of the confrontation, and Sierra wasn't altogether certain she wanted to know.

She also found out that, after healing her, Kovu had simply disappeared. No one knew what had happened to him, or where he had gone, in spite of the fact that scouts had been sent to find him. Every scout had returned with no news.

When they had begun to return to the palace, Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and the kitsune Shippo and their families had stayed behind in order to help the villagers put things back together. Sesshomaru had also left some of his army, under the supervision of Inuyasha, to help. It seemed he took responsibility for the villages being attacked by Yuki.

On the trip back Sierra had been kept under watch by Hiro, though Sierra had a feeling it was on her father's orders. He kept her separate from everyone, much to her frustration, not even allowing her to spend time with Richard, Little Blue, Seth, or the other dragon yokai, whom Sierra had found out was Mohkem, Seth's twin brother.

Now they were entering the city and walking on the road that would lead to the palace. Sierra felt trepidation rise within her. She knew every step she took brought her closer to a confrontation with her parents. It was going to have to happen. There was no way her parents would simply ignore the fact that she'd run away.

_And I don't even have Aunt Kagome or Uncle Inuyasha to mediate…Well, I guess I should scratch Uncle Inuyasha from that list. He's not much of a diplomat._

She found herself wishing that she were just back with the Troupe, wandering to who knows where. It would be much easier.

If Sierra had her way though, that's where she was going to end up after all this was over. She just wasn't sure how her parents would take the news.

They finally arrived at the palace itself. The gates stood wide open, and the crowd swept inside. The palace door swung open, and Sierra was shocked to see Lilianna running to greet them. Sierra had never seen her mother run before.

Lilianna stopped several feet in front of them, a large smile playing on her face. Sierra had not seen such an open look of joy on the face of any yokai that lived in the palace before.

"I'm so glad you are all safe," Lilianna said. Her eyes skimmed over the crowd until they came to rest upon Sierra.

Lilianna walked towards Sierra, and wrapped her in a tight hug. "I am so glad to have you back," she whispered.

Sierra was shocked at these actions, for more than one reason. Lilianna had never done such a thing before, not even in private, and it was unheard of in inu society to have such open displays of affection. Besides, after the cold shoulder Sesshomaru had given her, Sierra hadn't expected a warm welcome from Lilianna.

Lilianna stood back and smiled at her, a soft sheen of tears in her eyes. Then Sesshomaru's voice broke the moment.

"Hiro, escort Sierra to her room." His eyes shifted to Sierra, and he spoke to her for the first time since he had found her. "You will remain there until I send for you."

Rebellion rose in her chest. She didn't want to go to her room. She didn't want to be ordered around by Sesshomaru. She was an adult, whether Sesshomaru acknowledged that fact or not, and she shouldn't be ordered around by him.

Sierra beat those feelings down though. Now was not the time to discuss this. She would wait. She bowed her head in submission. "Yes, Father."

She followed Hiro to the palace. Before she made it to the door, she saw Ai waving and ginning at her by the wagons. She was surprised to see her and the rest of the Troupe, but Sierra smiled and waved back. Hiro led her to her room, and held the door open for her. Sierra walked inside, and Hiro shut the door behind her.

Sierra looked around the room. The window had been fixed while she was gone. The servants had also made sure to keep the room clean, free of any dust or cobwebs.

"It feels like I never left," she murmured.

Walking around, Sierra caught sight of herself in her mirror. She stopped and stared at her reflection. Something seemed different about her. Sierra couldn't put it into words, though.

She did note that her skin was not as pale as it used to be. It had gained a light tan during her time away. Her hair was slightly coarser; not having access to the palace soaps, it had lost some of its silky sheen. Glancing down at her hands, Sierra saw that her nails were short and rough, and her hands not nearly as soft as they had been.

These things changed her appearance, to be sure, but none was the change that had so caught Sierra's eyes. The biggest change was much harder to define.

Finally, Sierra decided that it was her eyes. There was something in them that had changed. They seemed…older, somehow. She had left home and found a life she enjoyed so much more. She had experienced happiness, contentment, and love.

"I could never be happy staying here again," she whispered. But would her parents let her leave, after the humiliation she had caused?

"They had better," she said. "It is the least they could do after the pain they caused me."

Sierra decided then that the only way Sesshomaru would ever keep her here was if he locked her away. She loved him, and she loved Lilianna, but she was no longer willing to stay somewhere where _she_ was unloved, and unwanted. She had felt what it was like to be loved for who she was, and she wasn't going to give that up, not for anyone.

* * *

Lilianna fell silent after informing Sesshomaru of all that had happened in his absence, including Sakura's arrival and the information she had given. As she had expected, he was furious that Hayate had tried to betray him, but pleased that it had not succeeded.

"Though Hayate has been beaten," Shen said, "there is still the question of what to do with Yumi."

"That's right," Lilianna said. "Yumi's mother died in childbirth, and she has no other relatives."

"For now we will provide a home for her," Sesshomaru said. "At least until we can discern whether or not she was a part of the plot."

"Sesshomaru, she is hardly old enough to be a part of a rebellion," Lilianna protested.

"With all due respect, my Lady, as long as one can wield a weapon, one is very dangerous," Hiro said.

"We shall keep an eye on her," Sesshomaru said. "Shen, Hiro, you are dismissed."

The two yokai bowed and left the room, leaving Sesshomaru and Lilianna to themselves.

"Have you spoken to Sierra about everything yet?" Lilianna asked softly.

"No. I thought it best to wait until we could speak to her at once."

Lilianna nodded. "Can you tell me what happened while she was captured by Yuki? I'm assuming that's what happened to her since she came home with you."

Sesshomaru looked out the window rather than reply. Lilianna felt her stomach tighten. "Sesshomaru, what happened?"

"Much happened, little of it good."

Lilianna reached over and took his hand in hers. "Tell me."

"It would appear," he said softly, "that Yuki and I had a son."

It took Lilianna a moment to comprehend those words. He had had a son with a woman that was not her, with that witch, of all people. That meant that it was not her son that was the rightful heir to the Western throne, but an illegitimate half breed.

Lilianna pulled her hand away from his. "It was a trick," she said.

Sesshomaru shook his head. "It was no trick. He is my son. It seems that Yuki was pregnant when I broke things off with her, though I did not know."

Something changed between them then. Lilianna could not say what, but she felt it, and she knew Sesshomaru did as well. The knowledge that he had had a son with another woman would always stand between them, and their relationship would never be the same again.

"Is he here?" Lilianna asked coldly. Sesshomaru would not dare bring the pup of another woman into her home, would he?

"No. Kovu disappeared after the battle."

A part of Lilianna wanted to ask if he had searched for Kovu, but she didn't bother. If he hadn't looked for Kovu, he would have said so to reassure her. That he had said nothing let her know he had searched.

"Lilianna, Kovu's existence changes nothing. Inutaisho is still my heir, and he will remain so."

"Do our children know about him?" Lilianna asked.

"I do not believe our sons do. Sierra does. She was there when Yuki told me about Kovu."

Lilianna nodded. Should the boys be told, she wondered. Would it benefit them in any way to know about their half brother?

"I do not think we should tell anyone at all about Kovu," Sesshomaru said.

"I agree," Lilianna replied. "When we speak to Sierra we will have to make sure she understands that."

That brought a new silence to the room. They would have to talk to Sierra, but what would they say? How did you confront a child who had run away from home?

"I would assume," Lilianna said, "that Yuki told her of the origins of her curse."

Sesshomaru nodded. "I believe so."

"Perhaps it would be best to go ahead and summon her now to speak with her," Lilianna said. "We shall not get anything done by talking about it."

Sesshomaru nodded and walked to the door. Opening it, he quickly located Jaken.

"Bring Princess Sierra to me."

Jaken bowed low and quickly moved away to do as had been requested of him. Sesshomaru returned to his seat to await the arrival of his daughter.

* * *

Sierra was still studying her reflection in the mirror when she heard a tap on her window. She looked over in surprise, and saw Seth standing there impatiently motioning for her to open it.

Sierra hopped up from her seat and opened the window for him. "What are you doing here?" Sierra asked.

"I got tired of being told I couldn't see you," Seth replied.

"Father will be upset if he finds out you've been in here," Sierra said. "It isn't proper."

Seth snorted. "I couldn't care less, Sierra."

Sierra sighed. "Yes I can tell that, but I'd rather you not be thrown out of the West."

"I wish them luck in trying that," Seth said, twirling Sierra's hair around his fingers. "I needed to speak with you, and I couldn't wait any longer. I want you to be my mate."

Sierra stood stock still, too shocked to reply. She had hoped that he would ask that question eventually, but hadn't expected it nearly so soon. She hadn't even told Seth she loved him, and he was asking for her hand with no idea on how she might reply.

She was about to reply when the door opened. "What is going on here?" squawked Jaken.

Sierra jerked away from Seth and looked at the toad with wide eyes. "Master Jaken!"

Jaken glared angrily at Seth and pointed a finger at him. "You have no right to enter Princess Sierra's chambers!"

Irritation crossed Seth's face. "If you value your life, toad, you'll leave now."

Jaken puffed himself up to his full height of two and a half feet. "How dare you insult the Head Servant of Lord Sesshomaru's house? Not only that, but you insult Lord Sesshomaru himself by entering his daughter's chambers! I will inform Lord Sesshomaru of these things, you vagabond!"

Sierra moved in front of Seth before he could respond to Jaken's words.

"Jaken, why are you here?"

Jaken directed his glare at Sierra. "I am here because Lord Sesshomaru wishes to speak with you."  
Sierra nodded. She'd suspected as much. "Very well. I will go speak to him, but I will tell him about Seth, not you."

Jaken looked like he was going to argue, but a glare and a low growl from Seth seemed to settle the matter.

"Fine," he said. "But if you don't tell Lord Sesshomaru, you can be sure I will. Now let's go. We've kept your parents waiting longer than we should have."

Jaken walked away, and as Sierra moved after him, she looked over her shoulder and said, "My answer is yes. We will talk more later."

She was out the door before she could see Seth's response. Jaken led her to her parents' sitting room, and knocked on the door.

"Enter," came Sesshomaru's voice through the wooden door.

Jaken opened the door and stepped forward. "The Princess Sierra," he announced, still bristling with indignation.

Sierra stepped in the room, her eyes trained on the floor.

"That will be all, Jaken," Sesshomaru said, dismissing him.

Jaken bowed and left the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Silence filled the room, and Sierra's stomach clenched with nerves. Would she really have the courage to say what she wanted to say to her parents? When they did not speak, Sierra finally raised her eyes to look at them.

They were both seated, and both of their faces were schooled to show no expression. It seemed Lilianna's warm welcome from earlier was gone. Perhaps it had just been a show for the benefit of others?

"Have a seat, Sierra," Lilianna said, motioning to a chair situated in front of theirs.

Sierra obediently sat down and waited for them to speak.

Finally, Sesshomaru started the conversation, his eyes narrowed slightly with anger. "We want to know how you could dare to run away from home."

Sierra felt resentment rise. How dare she run away from home? How dare _she_? What about what they'd done to her?

"I do not see that you have any right to be upset about my actions," she said with forced calm.

"No right to be upset!" Lilianna exclaimed. "We are your parents! Of course we shall be upset if you run away. Do you have any idea what it feels like to have sixteen years worth of care and love thrown back in your face?"

Care and love? Oh, to be sure they had always taken care of her physical needs; she had never gone hungry, never without clothes, had been educated; but love?

"I am well aware," Sierra said, willing the tears in her eyes not to spill over, "that neither of you have ever loved me. You needn't pretend otherwise."

They stared at her, looks of surprise upon their faces. Did they think they'd pretended very well? Sierra knew the truth; she had known it a very long time. She was somewhat surprised that they hadn't realized she knew.

"And what," Sesshomaru growled, "makes you think we do not love you?"

Sierra frowned. Did they really want her to list everything? Were they really so cruel?

She took a deep breath. "It was always obvious. For starters neither of you ever showed me any affection, ever. You never said you loved me. You never spent any time with me. You kept me away from everyone, holding me prisoner in the palace to hide your embarrassment. You always took away anything and everything that might have given me pleasure."

She remembered words Seth had spoken to her, what seemed like a long time ago. She glared at Sesshomaru. "It isn't fair…It isn't fair that you didn't love me! Especially because it's your fault I'm like this!"

The tears spilled over then, hot and angry. "It's your fault; and you let me think it was mine."

Sesshomaru seemed surprised. "Yours? Why would you have thought it was your fault?"

"It was the only thing I could come up with! You refused to tell me why; you called me a fool for asking. What else was I supposed to think? I assumed I had done something horrible, and that's why I was being punished."

"Oh, Sierra."

Sierra looked at Lilianna and was shocked to see that she was crying. "Sierra, we do love you. We've always loved you. We never realized that you didn't know. If we had…" she broke off with a sob.

"We did not hide you away here because we were ashamed of you," Sesshomaru said softly. "We kept you here to keep you safe. We didn't want anything to happen to you."

He was silent a moment. "And I did not tell you about the origins of your curse because I did not want you to hate me. Had I known you were blaming yourself, I would have told you sooner. I'm sorry."

Sierra stared at her parents, not knowing what to say. She hadn't expected this. They loved her? They hadn't known she was feeling so miserable? Granted she had always tried to hide those feelings, but she'd always thought her parents could see right through her. Was it possible they could be just as blind as she?

She watched them through teary eyes. They really loved her? They didn't think she was a mistake?

Standing, Sierra stumbled towards them. Lilianna met her part of the way and wrapped her in a hug. Seconds later, Sesshomaru's arms encircled both women, and they stood there holding onto each other.

Sierra clung to both of them. This warm, loving embrace was something she'd never expected to have. She knew she'd treasure this moment forever.

Sesshomaru kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

They stood that way for a while, Sierra didn't know how long. Finally, she wiped the tears from her face, her heart lighter than it had been in a long time, possibly lighter than it had ever been at all.

Her parents pulled back, allowing her room to move. Lilianna smoothed Sierra's hair. "From now on, if ever you feel upset with your father or me, come talk to us, okay? And we will try to be more sensitive to your feelings."

Sierra nodded, and gave them a wavering smile. "Okay."

"There is one other matter we need to discuss," Sesshomaru said. "Lilianna and I have decided it would be better if no one knew about Kovu for now. Do not tell anyone about him, for now."

Sierra wasn't sure that was the right choice, but she could understand their hesitance. Kovu was older than Inutaisho, and half breed and illegitimate though he may be, he could make a case for the Western throne. And as Kovu himself had said, his existence would cause an even greater scandal than Sierra's, and likely more would look down upon Sesshomaru because of it.

Sierra nodded her acceptance of their order. "I won't tell."

"We shall see you at dinner tonight," Sesshomaru said, dismissing her.

Sierra walked back to her room, glad the dreaded confrontation was finally over. It had ended much better than she expected.

Her contentment was shattered though when a new thought came to her. She had planned to tell her parents of her new engagement to Seth and her plans to leave the palace with the Troupe, or wherever else Seth may choose to go. She had completely forgotten to mention any of this.

_And do I even still want to leave now that I know my parents do love me? If I stay, I can finally really get to know them, and they can get to truly know me. If I leave, who knows how long it will be before I see them again?_

Sierra took a deep breath and let it out slowly. No, she wouldn't change her mind. She loved Seth, and she loved Little Blue. She would stay with them, and her parents were going to have to accept that.

_Now I just have to get up the courage to tell them._

Yes, Lilianna had just told her to come to them with anything; however, Sierra doubted they would expect her to come to them so soon and with a topic this big.

_Perhaps I'll save this topic for tomorrow…_

* * *

Dinner that night was a celebration, with more food and drink than any banquet in the last hundred years had beheld. It was more rambunctious that usual, what with singing, dancing, and all manner of interesting things provided by the Wandering Noonvale Troupe, who had also been invited to the party.

Still, for all the liveliness and fun, there were a few party guests that could not get into the 'party mood', per say. Amongst that group were Inutaisho, Kit, and Kat, who had as of yet been unable to speak with Sierra.

During the meal she had been seated in her usual spot with them, but there had been no chance to have the sort of discussion they wanted to have with her. There were too many people about. Now that dinner was over, she had immersed herself in the crowd of the Troupe, where a surprising amount of people seemed very happy to see her.

The three watched and waited, hoping to find a moment where they could get her alone. Finally, their patience was rewarded when they saw her slip away into the gardens for a breather. Triumphantly, the three snuck after her. What they failed to see, however, was Seth heading out to the gardens as well.

* * *

Sierra breathed deeply of the sweetly scented night air. She could still hear the sounds of the celebration, and had no doubt it would continue for a long time this night. She was enjoying it, for she'd never seen such a lively party at the palace before, and it was interesting to see such usually refined and self controlled yokai let their walls down and just enjoy themselves.

Arms slipped around her waist and held her tightly. Sierra turned her head and smiled up at Seth. "Hey there."

Seth pulled a mock frown. "I was hoping to startle you."

Sierra giggled. "No such luck. I was rather expecting you to follow me."

Seth's eyes took a mischievous twinkle. "Oh? So you wanted to be alone with me did you?"  
Sierra blushed at the implication in his words. "Sort of. I actually wanted-"

"What do you think you're doing?"  
Sierra tried, unsuccessfully, to jump out of Seth's arms when she saw her brothers standing nearby glaring at the two of them.

"Oh, um, hi guys," she said weakly.

_This is so not good._

* * *

Inutaisho was furious. Yes, he had known that Seth wanted Sierra to be his mate; Mohkem had told him about that. But knowing was one thing, and seeing his sister wrapped up in Seth's arms was something else entirely.

Besides, whether they were going to get married or not, this was completely inappropriate, especially in their father's home!

He glared at Seth. "Let go of her, now."

Seth met his challenging stare. "And if I don't want to?"  
He was just begging for the three of them to attack.

"Seth, let go of me," Sierra said. She at least looked properly embarrassed.

Seth glanced down at her, looking somewhat surprised and a little upset. "Sierra,"

"Please?" she interrupted.

Looking decidedly unhappy, Seth complied. Sierra stepped towards the Inutaisho and the twins.

"Please don't tell Mother or Father about this yet. I'm going to talk to them tomorrow; today didn't seem like a good time. Please?"

"Whether or not you're planning to tell them," Kit started.

"It's not proper for you to be alone with a guy," Kat continued.

"Much less holding on to him," Inutaisho finished, with a glare sent Seth's way for good measure.

"I know," Sierra said. "But you needn't worry. Seth wouldn't do anything to harm my honor."

"It someone else had found you it would already be a little to late to save your honor," Inutaisho fumed.

"Come on," Kit said taking her arm.

"Let's go back to the party," Kat said taking her other arm.

Sierra pulled away from them both. "I'm not going back yet. I need to speak to Seth, privately, and I'll go back when we're done."

Inutaisho was surprised by her resistance. Normally Sierra did what she was told. "You'll come now, or we will tell Father what we found you doing."

Sierra opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly Seth, the brothers had all but forgotten that he was still there, lunged forward, grabbed Sierra, and disappeared into the air in the blink of an eye.

There was a moment of silence.

"What just happened?" Kat asked.

Inutaisho scanned the sky, but didn't see them. "I don't know, but we're going to tell Father about it."

* * *

Well, I think we can all agree on one thing, at least. Sesshomaru's going to be royally angry in the next chapter. Who besides me is looking forward to that? Let me know in a review!


	26. Chapter 26

Well, this is it. The last chapter of Sesshomaru's Daughter; and yet not the last. There will be an epilogue after this chapter, so please stick around for just a little bit longer, okay?

I'd like to send a warm thank you to everyone who's reviewed and read my story! I really appreciate all the support you've given me!

* * *

Sierra gasped and wrapped her arms around Seth's neck as the wind rushed by them. She hadn't expected him to take off with her like that. Speaking of which, where exactly was he taking her?

Seth landed and set Sierra's feet on the ground.

_Roof,_ Sierra mentally corrected herself looking down. _We are not on the ground; we're on the palace roof._

The roof was sloped in most areas, but there were a few flat places on top. Seth and Sierra were on a narrow ledge near the highest part of the roof.

Seth let go of her and took a step back. Surprised and somewhat confused, not to mention a bit nervous about how high up they were, Sierra looked up at him.

_He looks angry…is he mad at me?_

Sierra couldn't think of what she might have done to upset him though. Whatever it was, she wanted to fix it quickly. She didn't like being up this high with nothing to hold on to.

"Is something wrong Seth?"

He glared at her. "Why do you keep refusing me?"

…Wait, what? When had she refused him? The only time she could think of was at the river, when things had started to go too far and she had stopped him. But if he was going to get mad about that, he'd have gotten mad at her then, which he hadn't.

"Seth, I really don't understand what you're talking about. When have I refused you?"

"Anytime someone gets near us," Seth snapped. "You always push me away then."

So he was talking about what had happened with Jaken and her brothers. But of course she had pushed him away then. Obviously, until Sesshomaru was informed of her and Seth's relationship, she would have to, otherwise he might find out about it in the wrong way, and that would cause no end of trouble.

But Seth didn't seem to understand this, even though it was perfectly clear to Sierra.

Sierra tried to think back to her lessons. What had she learned about dragon yokai culture? She remembered that dragon yokai were very public with their feelings. In their society, it was quite acceptable to hug or something in public, expected even. But when others had chanced to see Sierra with Seth, she had always tried to put distance between them, and since he was a dragon yokai, it would seem like a rejection, even if she had told him she was willing to be his mate.

"Seth, I'm sorry if it seemed like I was pushing you away. That wasn't what I meant to do at all." She tried to think of how to explain this.

"In inu yokai society, it is not permissible for an unmated couple to be alone as we have been, and it is considered even worse for me because of who my father is. If it were to become common knowledge that you and I had been alone together, not only would it bring shame upon me in their eyes, it would bring shame upon my father."

She tugged the end of her sleeves nervously. "This is actually sort of what I wanted to talk to you about earlier." She looked up at him, but could no longer tell whether or not he was upset with her. "I love you Seth, and I want to be your mate; however, in inu society it is required that you ask Father for his blessing before we can be mates. I wanted to ask that you honor that tradition."

"And what will you do," Seth asked softly, "if I ask his blessing and he refuses to give it?"

That was a bigger possibility than Seth realized.

"I will still be your mate, whatever he says," Sierra told him. "I love you; I'm happier with you than I've ever been in my life, and I won't give that up. However, if I do mate you without his permission, it will likely ruin forever my relationship with my parents. That's why I wanted you to seek his approval, so that our relationships wouldn't be totally destroyed."  
Seth tipped his head to the side, studying her. Sierra felt somewhat uneasy under that penetrating gaze. She couldn't tell at all what he was thinking.

"I do not understand why you would want anything to do with him after the way you've been treated here."

Sierra was surprised by his words, and the dislike in his tone. She had never expected him to develop any sort of animosity towards her family because of her.

Sierra stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. "He is my father, Seth. I love him, and I always will." She hesitated and said, "They did not know how I felt. They did not know I was hurt, because I never told them. They were never intentionally cruel, and I have forgiven them."

"Your heart is too soft," Seth told her.

Sierra smiled. "Perhaps yours is too hard."

Seth's face softened, and his arms slid around her waist. "Then we shall balance each other out."

Sierra relaxed into his embrace, glad that the misunderstanding had been cleared up. Seth leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss that warmed Sierra from her head to the tips of her toes.

Pulling back, Seth said, "I will ask Lord Sesshomaru for permission to take you as my mate if it will please you."

Sierra felt relief and gratitude sweep through her. "Thank you, Seth."

Seth's head snapped to the side suddenly and he glared at the ground below. Sierra didn't know what had caught his attention, but a prickle of dread made its way up her spine. She didn't know what had happened, but some instinct warned her that it was most certainly not good.

"Seth?" she questioned.

"Your father's energy just spiked," Seth told her. "Either someone in your family just died, or your brothers made good on their threat to tell him about finding us together."

Sierra groaned and hid her face in his chest. "This is not good."

* * *

Not good was a massive understatement. Seth hadn't told Sierra, but Sesshomaru's energy wasn't the only thing that had gone up. There was a definite and very noticeable bloodlust in there as well. If Seth didn't miss his guess, things were about to become very messy.

_Now the question is, should we go down to him, or wait for him to come to us?_

Seth decided going down would be the wiser course of action. Scooping Sierra up again, Seth jumped off the roof and unfurled his wings, letting them catch the air. He tilted his body and spiraled slowly down to earth; making sure that Sierra wasn't jarred in the landing.

Seth had chosen to land in the gardens, away from the large crowd of people. He had planned for Sierra and himself to walk to Sesshomaru, thinking that among inu yokai that might be more appropriate, but no sooner had he set Sierra on her feet, he could feel Sesshomaru coming, and quickly.

Sesshomaru arrived seconds later, a crowd of people following behind. Sierra flinched away from the rage that was clearly displayed upon Sesshomaru's face, and Seth felt some of his own anger ignite. He would not let Sesshomaru take his anger out on Sierra.

"Sierra, go to your room now," Sesshomaru ordered.

Seth didn't wait for Sierra's response but took her hand and tugged her close to his side.

"I think it would be better for her to be here during this conversation," Seth said coolly.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. He obviously didn't like having his orders contradicted.

"She is my daughter and will do as I say. Sierra, go now."

Sierra bit her lip and looked between Sesshomaru and Seth. Finally she spoke up and said, "Father, may I speak to you first?"

"We will speak later. Go. Now."

Sierra looked down, and Seth stepped forward to defend her. However, before he could say anything, Sierra placed a hand upon his arm to silence him. She walked in front of Seth, and looked at Sesshomaru with a challenge lighting her eyes.

"Will _we_ speak, or will _you_ speak?"

Sesshomaru looked stunned by her challenge, but Seth was more than a little pleased that Sierra was sticking up for herself against him. Apparently wanting to take advantage of Sesshomaru's momentary surprise, Sierra continued talking.

"The fact is Father, Seth and I love each other. We had every intention of coming to you with our relationship, as I told Inutaisho, Kit, and Kat." Here Sierra sent a glare at her brothers. Sierra switched her attention back to Sesshomaru. "Seth was going to ask for you to allow me to be his mate."

Sesshomaru appeared to have reigned in his temper by this time, but barely. "No," he said flatly.

Sierra looked distressed, and Seth tugged her back and stood forward, meeting Sesshomaru eye to eye. "Why not?" Seth asked simply.

"I do not need to explain myself to you," Sesshomaru snapped.

"Actually, you do," Seth replied. "You see I have every intention of mating Sierra whether or not you give your consent. I was only going to ask you as a favor to Sierra. Now, unless you can give me a good reason as to why I shouldn't be her mate, I will proceed with the plan of making her mine."

The air crackled with tension as no one spoke. Seth wasn't sure that everyone was even breathing. Sesshomaru growled low and, for a moment, Seth wondered if Sesshomaru would disregard speaking and just attack him.

Seth hoped Sesshomaru wouldn't attack him, though Seth wasn't afraid to fight him. Seth just honestly didn't know whether or not he'd win. Seth was powerful yes, but Sesshomaru was older and had vastly more experience than Seth did. If Seth were to have any hope of winning, he'd have to change into his dragon form, but not even that would guarantee a victory. The only thing that would be certain in a fight between Seth and Sesshomaru was that the surrounding area would be destroyed, and anyone nearby would be hurt in the cross fire. Seth didn't want to endanger those he cared about.

Sesshomaru possibly had similar reservations about starting a fight, and so he didn't attack after all. Instead he spoke contemptuously, saying, "You are not worthy of her hand."

Seth felt highly insulted by this. He wasn't worthy? He was the son of Gohen, he was going to one day be the leader of the most powerful tribe of dragon yokai! And Sesshomaru dared to say his title wasn't worthy of Sierra?

Seth calmed down with some effort, remembering that Sesshomaru didn't know who he was. They had never met face to face before, and Sesshomaru wouldn't have gotten a good enough whiff of his scent to realize that he was Gohen's son.

"If you speak of my title," Seth said with forced calm, "I am Sierra's equal. I am Gohen's eldest son, and will one day be the chieftain of the Sky King clan." He paused for a moment. "I suppose in your terminology, you would call me a crown prince."

There were various murmurs of surprise from the crowd, though Seth didn't pay attention to who said what, or even what was being said.

"Now, if you say that I am not worthy of her due to my character," here Seth gave him a sarcastic smile, "well, it seems rather premature to judge someone you don't know."

Sesshomaru snarled, red bleeding into his eyes. "Insolent wretch," Sesshomaru growled.

Seth tensed, prepared for Sesshomaru to attack, but not for what happened next.

"Don't insult my daddy, you, you bloody jerk!"

Everyone froze in shock at the sound of Little Blue's voice. She marched forward, a look of righteous anger on her face. She pointed a finger at Sesshomaru and continued her rant.

"My daddy is a good person. He always helps people, he's nice, and he gives good advice too! He loves Sierra and she loves him and I want Sierra to be my mommy! And if you can't like that idea, well, there's just something bloody wrong with you!"

The look of disbelief on Sesshomaru's face was almost comical. Seth thought this must be the most priceless moment in the history of the world. Sesshomaru, the great Lord of the West, had just been told off by a hatchling. Life was good.

Although her word choice gave Seth some concern; she'd obviously spent a little too much time with Richard.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as anger began to outweigh his surprise. Sierra slipped forward and took Little Blue's hand before Sesshomaru could actually respond to her words though.

"Little Blue, sweetheart, let's go stand over here, quietly."

"But I'm not finished yet!" she protested.

"Yes, Little Blue, you are," Sierra said as she shepherded the girl out of claw range and behind Seth.

Lilianna stepped up and placed a hand on Sesshomaru's arm before the conversation, if it could be call that, continued. "Perhaps we should continue this privately," she said.

Sesshomaru glanced around, possibly only just noticing the crowd that was watching them. He nodded and said imperiously, "Come."

Sesshomaru turned on his heel and started walking away, Lilianna close behind. Mohkem appeared beside Sierra. "I'll watch Little Blue while you two talk with Lord Sesshomaru," he volunteered.

Seth nodded his thanks, but had no time for words as he and Sierra moved to catch up to her parents. They led the way to their own formal sitting room, where Lilianna and Sesshomaru sat, after a pointed glare from Lilianna. Sierra and Seth took their positions in front of them.

"Now then," Lilianna started, "Seth was it? You say you plan on being Sierra's mate whatever we say, correct?"

Seth nodded. "Yes."

Lilianna turned her gaze to Sierra. "And you are of a like mind, Sierra?"

Sierra didn't hesitate. "Yes, Mother."

Lilianna nodded. "I thought as much. Well, we really can't object to Seth's title, though we do not like the way that this relationship has come about. You two will have to give us some time to think upon this matter. We will have an answer ready for you in the morning."

Seth glanced at Sesshomaru and could tell that he was not happy with Lilianna's statements. However, he did not object to them, so perhaps that was a step in the right direction.

"Thank you, Mother, Father," Sierra said. Seth just nodded towards them, not really in a thankful mood, and he and Sierra left the room.

When they got into the hallway Seth noted that the inu general Hiro just happened to be waiting in the hallway. He also just happened to be going in the same direction they were, albeit several feet behind them.

Seth held back a frustrated sigh. They were no longer going to have any privacy. He just knew it.

* * *

"I do not see how we can say no, Sesshomaru," Lilianna said.

"Quite easily," Sesshomaru snapped. "Sierra is far too young to take a mate."

"Sierra is human," Lilianna replied. "Human women younger than her take mates."

"Young human women also often die in childbirth," Sesshomaru countered.

Lilianna raised her eyebrows in surprise. How would Sesshomaru know that? It wasn't like he spent much time in human villages.

Sesshomaru had taken an interest in humans after Sierra's birth though. Perhaps he had learned this at some point over the past sixteen years.

"I do not think Sierra is so young that the labors of childbirth would kill her," Lilianna said. "Besides, they are both determined to do this with or without our blessing. If we refuse, they will do it anyways and we will lose our daughter forever. If we give our blessing then we will still have her, if only for short visits."

Lilianna hesitated before saying the thought that had been in her mind from the moment Inutaisho had told them that he'd caught Sierra and Seth alone together.

"And if she mates him, Sierra won't die."

Sesshomaru didn't speak, but stared at her.

"The bond, it will keep her alive so long as Seth lives. You know I've always wished for her mate to be a yokai for this very reason. Well, now we've found one who wants to mate her, and she wishes for her mate as well. What are the chances that another yokai would agree to take Sierra for his mate? Besides, now that Sierra has fallen in love, she won't agree to any other arrangement."

Sesshomaru walked to the window overlooking the gardens. "I do not like losing her so soon."

Lilianna stood and crossed to him. "We will only lose her if we refuse."

Sesshomaru nodded. "We shall give our blessing."

Lilianna said nothing and looked out over the gardens as well. The sounds of revelry had returned as people began to celebrate once more. It was strange, Lilianna decided, that one could be both happy and sad at the same time.

_But I have more to be happy about than I do to be sad._

When Sierra left home with Seth, Lilianna would say goodbye with a smile.

* * *

Sierra retired to her room for the night long before the party ended. She was drained, both physically and emotionally. All she wanted was a good night's sleep, and hopefully a good report from her parents in the morning.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?"

_Yumi._

Sierra jerked to a stop when she saw Yumi sitting on her vanity stool. "What are you doing in my rooms?" Sierra asked.

Yumi stood and walked slowly towards her. "Do you know what happened while we were away from the palace? You mother murdered my father."

Sierra backed up warily. She had heard of the rebellion, but only vague reports. She had known that Hayate had died, but she hadn't known how.

"Yumi, he was trying to overthrow my parents. She wouldn't have had a choice."

"Of course he was trying to overthrow them!" Yumi snarled. "You parents are stupid and weak, they don't deserve to rule!"

"If my parents are stupid and weak, what does that say about your father, since my mother killed him?"

Sierra knew the taunt was a mistake, even before Yumi made her head start ringing with a hard backhanded blow.

"Filthy human," Yumi growled as Sierra stumbled back and hit the door.

_The door._

Sierra grabbed the handle, but before she could open it, Yumi grabbed her wrist.

"Oh no you don't," she snarled.

Yumi wrapped her free hand around Sierra's throat and lifted her into the air, holding her against the door.

"My father only gave me one job for his rebellion; to kill you. In honor of him, I will do that!"

Grasping at her only hope of survival as Yumi's grip tightened, Sierra kicked the door with her heels, hoping someone might be in the hallway and hear her.

All of a sudden, the wood behind her burst, and Sierra was thrown away from Yumi and onto the hard stone floor. Her head hit the ground hard, and her vision swam. Her ribs hurt; Sierra thought that whoever had broken the door must have hit them.

Blinking the tears out of her eyes, Sierra tried to focus on what was happening around her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Yumi screeched.

"Yumi, you have to stop this."

_Rai?_

Sierra pushed herself onto her knees, and saw Rai standing between Yumi and herself.

"Get out of my way," she yelled.

Rai didn't move. "I can't let you do this, Yumi," he said, his voice tight.

Yumi looked crazed. Her mind was broken by her grief. "Then I'll kill you too," she said and lunged at him, flames edging her claws.

Rai ducked her swipe and hit her in the stomach, knocking the air from her lungs and causing her to stumble back. Rai stepped forward, almost looking like he wanted to catch her, but Yumi recovered and lashed out with her claws, leaving four deep gashes on Rai's face. Her other hand went for his neck, but Rai caught her hand with one of his own while his other hand grabbed her throat. He gave a vicious jerk on her neck and just like that, he neck was broken and Yumi was dead.

Sierra sat there, stunned. It had all happened in a matter of seconds.

Rai didn't look at Sierra, or speak to her, but sank to the floor cradling Yumi's body in his arms. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and Sierra could just barely make out the sound of Rai saying, "I'm sorry Yumi. I'm sorry."

Tears slid down her cheeks. It seemed so wrong. Why did Rai have to have been the one to fight Yumi? Why couldn't have someone else, anyone else, have come to her rescue?

Inutaisho ran in the room then. "What happened?" he demanded.

Sierra tearfully looked up at him. "Yumi attacked me…Rai he…"

Inutaisho took in the scene, and understanding flickered across his face. Still, he went to Sierra first. "You're hurt. I'll get you to the healer."

That was when Sierra remembered her own pain. Wood from the door had left multiple cuts on her body, her ribs hurt with every breath, and it felt like she was growing a second head on top of the first.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Inutaisho asked.

"No," Sierra quickly replied, disliking the idea of any kind of pressure on her ribs at the moment.

Inutaisho helped her stand and led her into the hallway. They met with Hiro and Seth coming their way.

"Are you all right?" Seth demanded upon seeing her.

"I'm fine," Sierra said with a brave, and somewhat fake, smile. "I'll be a little sore for a while, but that's all."

Inutaisho snorted but didn't contradict her words.

"What happened?" Hiro asked.

"Yumi attacked Sierra," Inutaisho said. "Rai stopped her. I left him in Sierra's room."

Hiro frowned in confusion a moment, and then his eyes widened in understanding. "I'll take care of him. You two escort Sierra to Megumi, and send someone to inform Lord Sesshomaru of what has happened."

They got Sierra to Megumi, and on the way they sent a servant to tell Sesshomaru about the events. Megumi had to send Inutaisho and Seth out so she could tend to Sierra's various cuts, but not long after Lilianna came in.

"Is Sierra okay?" she asked.

Megumi nodded. "She will be fine. The cuts are not deep. Her ribs are bruised, and will pain her for a while, but they are not broken. I would not advise allowing her to sleep however. I have seen people sleep after being struck in the head and never wake up again. For tonight at least she should stay awake."

Lilianna nodded. "She will. Sierra, we were told that Yumi had attacked you, but not why. Did she say why to you?"

"Yes," Sierra said. "She said Hayate had ordered her to kill me for the rebellion, and she would do so to honor his memory."

Lilianna looked sad. "So she was involved in his rebellion. I had hoped…But that doesn't matter now." She was quiet for a moment. "I suppose it is safe to assume that Rai wasn't a part of it though."

"I wish he hadn't been the one to rescue me," Sierra said sadly.

"It was probably best for Yumi though," Lilianna said.

"Can you imagine what would have happened to her had your father been the one to catch her? Or Seth? Or anyone else for that matter. Rai gave her the quickest and most painless death that he could. No one else would have been so generous."

Sierra had not thought of that, but Lilianna made a good point.

"Maybe it was best for Yumi," Sierra replied, "but she's not the one I feel sorry for."

Lilianna nodded. "I know. Are you done treating her, Megumi?"

Megumi nodded. "Yes, my Lady."

"Good. If it were to take much longer, I have a feeling that someone outside would break down the door to make sure you were really okay," Lilianna said with a smile.

Sierra blushed. She could see Seth doing that.

They walked out of the room together, and Sierra was surprised to see that Inutaisho and Seth had been joined by Kit, Kat, Richard, Sakura, and Sesshomaru.

_Word travels fast around the palace, I guess._

Kit and Kat bounded forward before anyone else. "Are you okay?" they asked simultaneously.

"I'm fine, really. I'll just be sore for a while."

They looked relieved to hear it.

"You can't go anywhere without getting into some kind of bloody trouble, can you lass?" Richard said.

Sierra made a face at him. "Oh, like you've never been attacked."

"Not in my own home," Richard countered.

"That's because you don't have a home," Sakura said dryly.

There was some laughter at Sakura's comeback, but rather than join in the banter, Sierra looked over at Sesshomaru who had stayed somewhat separate from the group. Their eyes met, and Sesshomaru nodded at her. Sierra smiled. She knew he was glad that she was okay. He walked away then, probably to talk to Hiro and Rai.

"Well, you can't stay in your room tonight without a door," Lilianna said. "I had the servants prepare you a new room. Since Megumi said you couldn't sleep tonight, I'll stay with you."

"I'll stay with her, Mother," Inutaisho volunteered.

"So will we," Kit and Kat chimed in.

Lilianna studied them a moment and then nodded. "Very well. I'll show you what room she'll be in till her door is repaired."

She turned and nodded at Richard, Sakura, and Seth. "Good night. I shall see you in the morning."

They all said their good nights, and then Lilianna took them to the room Sierra was to stay in. She left the siblings there.

Sierra settled herself on the bed. She couldn't sleep, but it was more comfortable than standing or sitting in a chair.

She felt the bed move and saw that Kit and Kat were sitting on either side of her. Inutaisho commandeered a chair and sat at the foot of the bed. Then they proceeded to stare at her, not saying a word. It was rather awkward, not to mention just a little creepy.

After a few minutes of silence, Sierra couldn't take it anymore. "Is someone going to say something, or are you all just going to stare at me?"

"Why'd you run away?" Inutaisho asked.

Sierra was caught off guard by the question. She'd already gone through this with her parents, and she hadn't expected to need to go through it with her brothers. But of course they would want to know too. She should have realized.

"I left because I thought that would be best for everyone. I thought that Mother and Father didn't really care about me, that they'd be relieved if I left. So, I did."

The three seemed surprised at her words. "Why didn't you say something?" Inutaisho asked.

Sierra frowned in confusion. "To Mother and Father? Why would I have said something to them about it?"

"He meant why didn't you say something to us," Kit said quietly.

"Or did you think we didn't care either?" Kat asked.

The thought to take her troubles to them had never occurred to Sierra. Actually, thoughts of her brothers had rarely entered her mind at all. The older Sierra had gotten, the less and less time she'd had to spend with her brothers. There were many, many days that she only saw them at meal time, and of course there was little to no talking at meals usually.

"We never really spent any time together," Sierra said. "I guess I just assumed I didn't matter."

"You do matter," Kit said.

"A lot," Kat finished.

Sierra sighed. "I know that now. I'm sorry that my actions hurt you."

"But you're not sorry for your actions," Inutaisho said, stating what she had left unsaid.

But how could she be sorry for her actions when Seth and Little Blue in her life was the result?

"Wait a minute," Sierra said, pushing herself into a sitting position. "Ouch! I moved to fast there. But I'm supposed to be mad at you three. How could you tell Father about Seth? I told you that I was going to tell him!"

"We had to. Can you imagine what might have happened had someone other than us discovered you two wrapped up in each other's arms like that?" Inutaisho snapped.

Sierra blushed. "We were hugging. There is nothing wrong with that."

"There is when you're the princess of the West," Kit stated.

"And the person you're hugging is not your mate," Kat finished.

"He's going to be my mate," Sierra said.

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow. "Mother and Father gave their blessing?"

"Well…no, not exactly. They said they'd tell us in the morning."

"Then it is not certain that he will be your mate."

Sierra raised her chin stubbornly. "He will. I've already told Mother and Father that whatever they decide, I will be Seth's mate."

"You what?" Kit and Kat said at the same time.

"I love Seth; I won't give him up for anything," Sierra said quietly.

The guys were silent. Finally, Inutaisho spoke.

"Sierra, will you promise me one thing?" he asked gravely.

"What?" she asked.

"Promise me…when you become Seth's mate…promise me you won't adopt the dragon yokai's style of dress?"

Had there been room left on the bed, Sierra might have fallen over. She'd thought his request was going to be something serious. Then she remembered how dragon yokai dressed.

Sierra blushed and threw a pillow at him. "Ouch! Inutaisho! Of course I'm not going to dress like that! Ouch!" She'd thrown another pillow. "How could you even ask that? Ouch!"

* * *

Seth sat beside Mohkem in the gardens after breakfast watching Little Blue chase butterflies. It never ceased to amaze him how easily amused Little Blue was. Of course, he could remember chasing butterflies with Mohkem. But they had been younger than Little Blue; by her age Seth had been chasing Mohkem rather than butterflies.

"So, have you been to see Sierra yet this morning?" Mohkem asked.

Seth scowled. "No. Her brothers have stayed with her the whole time; I think they're trying to keep me away from her."

"Hopefully that will only last until her parents say whether or not you can have her as your mate."

"And hopefully they'll say yes," Seth said. "It will upset Sierra if they say no."

"Even if they do say yes, they probably won't let her leave until she's fully healed."

Seth growled at the reminder of Sierra's brush with death. She'd had far too many of those for his liking.

"I wish I'd been the one to get to her first."

"It's probably a good thing you didn't," Mohkem said. "Sierra might not have looked at you quite the same after watching you torture someone."

Admittedly that was a possibility. Still, Seth wanted to be the one to protect her.

"Heads up, we've got company," Mohkem muttered.

Seth stood and moments later Sesshomaru appeared. Seth didn't say anything. Sesshomaru had sought him out; Sesshomaru could start the conversation.

Sesshomaru studied him for a while, and then said, "I do not like you."

Seth blinked as Mohkem was taken by a sudden coughing fit. Seth absentmindedly swatted him with his tail to shut him up.

"I'm not fond of you either," Seth said dryly.

Sesshomaru didn't appear surprised or bothered by Seth's response. "However, for some reason Sierra does seem to care for you, so I give you my permission to take her as your mate." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in threat. "Don't make me change my mind."

Seth understood the meaning behind his last sentence. He was not to do anything that might make Sierra unhappy, or regret her decision to be with him. "I won't," Seth said.

Sesshomaru nodded and walked away.

"That went surprisingly well," Mohkem said when Sesshomaru was gone.

"Indeed," Seth said.

* * *

Several weeks had passed since Yumi had attacked Sierra, and her wounds had finally healed completely. Isamu and Lilianna were helping her do some last minute packing before she left in the morning.

"I'm going to miss you, Sierra," Isamu said.

Sierra smiled back. She had been surprised when she'd finally met up with Isamu at the palace and found out she'd become Shen's mate during Sierra's absence, but she had also been happy. Her guess on that long ago day in the garden had been correct.

"I'll miss you too, Isamu, but I imagine that there are plenty who will be glad to see me go."

"Why would you say that?" Lilianna asked. She still keenly remembered Sierra's reasons for running away.

Sierra grinned. "My departure means the Troupe will be leaving as well."

Richard had refused to leave without Sierra, insisting that the Troupe would accompany her and Seth to his home with the Sky King clan. Their stay had made the palace a much livelier place and some of the older yokai weren't too happy about the change. The Troupe had proved immensely popular with the younger crowd, however.

Lilianna chuckled. "Well, when you put it like that, I can see why some people might be happy."

"The Troupe has some interesting characters, to be sure," Isamu said. "Do you know Richard has gotten all of the children in the habit of saying 'bloody' all the time?"

Lilianna rolled her eyes. "Oh, I know, all right. I've had more than one mother complain to me about his language. Really, there is little I can do about it. I can't forbid the man to speak."

"You could," Sierra said, "but it would be the most ineffective order ever given. I don't think even death will silence him!"

"Probably not," Isamu said with a smile. "Oh, Sierra, what a lovely comb. Why hadn't it been packed yet?"

Lilianna looked at the comb in question. "Isn't that the one Sesshomaru gave to you?"

Sierra nodded. "I'm wearing that one tomorrow, that's why it's not packed." She took it from Isamu and fingered it gently. "I took this with me when I ran away, but I lost it. Inutaisho found it and returned it to me the other day when we were alone." She smiled. "I'm very glad he did."

Lilianna laid a hand on her shoulder. "I think Sesshomaru will appreciate you wearing it."

Isamu glanced out the window at the dark sky. "It's getting late. We'd best go so you can get some sleep before your trip tomorrow. Good night, Sierra."

"Good night," Sierra said as Isamu left.

"Good night, daughter," Lilianna said and kissed her forehead.

"Good night, Mother," Sierra said with a smile.

* * *

Morning dawned bright and early, with a flurry of activity. Sooner than seemed possible, they were ready to leave and it was time to say goodbye.

Sierra hugged Isamu tightly. "I shall miss you."

"Come visit soon," Isamu said. "And I mean soon by human standards."

Sierra smiled. "I'll do my best."

She said a quick goodbye to Hiro and Shen and moved on to her brothers.

"It doesn't seem right," Kit said.

"You're getting a mate before us, and we're older," Kat complained.

"Please, do you realize how old I'd be if I waited for you to find mates first?" Sierra asked. "After all, what woman in her right mind would want you two?"

They hugged her, and so did Inutaisho. Then she moved on to her parents.

Lilianna held her hands tightly. "I shall miss you more than you realize, daughter." Her eyes twinkled with mischief. "I look forward to meeting my grandpups."

Sierra blushed. She and Seth still weren't official mates and here Lilianna was talking about children.

"Stay well," Sesshomaru said.

Sierra smiled up at him. "I will. I shall miss you both. I love you."

Lilianna tenderly touched her cheek. "We love you too."

Sierra turned away to climb up on the wagon with Ai. Ai had insisted that she ride with her as, 'you've got years to spend with Seth and Little Blue, but not with me.'

She stopped though when she saw Rai standing a little ways off from everyone else. She had not seen him since the day that he had saved her from Yumi. Perhaps it was just the lighting, but it seemed to Sierra that he wore a cloak of defeat. Sierra wished there were something she could say to comfort him, but no words could come to her. So she smiled and waved, hoping that simple act would let him know that she was thankful for his help, and sad for his loss.

He didn't respond, and Sierra had to leave not knowing how Rai felt.

She waved goodbye to everyone one last time as the wagons pulled out of the gate. Soon they went through the city gates as well, and they were on their way back to the North, and Sierra's new home.

They made good progress that day, travelling several miles. When they finally stopped Ai said, "I'd best get over to the cooking fire. It's my turn to help with supper tonight."

"I'll help you too," Sierra said.

"Oh, no you won't," Ai said with a laugh. "I don't think Seth is that patient."

At Sierra's look of confusion, Ai pointed behind her with a giggle. Sierra turned and saw that Seth had parked his wagon a distance away from the group. He was leaning against the side watching her intently. Waiting for her, Sierra thought.

"I do believe," Ai said, "you two are officially going to become mates tonight." She gave Sierra a little push towards Seth. "Have fun!" she said in a sing song voice before walking away.

Sierra could feel her face turn ten shades of red. Tonight? Now? But everyone was going to _know_.

_I guess everyone would know no matter what though. I'm pretty sure couples only do one thing their first night together._

Sierra started to walk to him, butterflies in her stomach. Though Sierra had known she was going to be his mate, she hadn't actually given any thought to this night. Sure she'd known that this was going to be a part of the whole mates package, but she hadn't really thought about it. She really had no idea what to expect. Granted, Kagome had explained to her where babies came from some years before, but Sierra thought that explanation had a lot of blanks to be filled in.

All too soon she was standing in front of him. The butterflies had morphed into jumping rabbits.

Seth tilted his head to the side as he looked down at her. Could he tell how nervous she was? Sierra thought he most likely could.

He took her hand in his. "Come on, Sierra."

He led her inside the wagon and shut the door firmly behind her. Seth had to stoop to avoid hitting his head against the top. Had the situation been any different Sierra would have found the sight comical.

He turned and looked at her as she stood nervously beside the bed. "What are you scared of?" he asked quietly.

She wasn't scared…okay; maybe she was a little…

"Tonight," she whispered. "I…I have no idea what's going to happen, or what I'm supposed to do, or, well, anything really."

Seth relaxed after she said that and smiled. "Is that all that's bothering you?"

Sierra blushed in embarrassment. "It's nothing to laugh at!"

"I'm not laughing at you," he said, leaning forward to plant a kiss on her cheek. "I'm relieved. I worried you might have changed you mind."

Sierra's eyes widened. She had never meant to give him that impression. In an effort to reassure him, she wrapped her arms about his neck. "I'd never do that."

His arms slid around her waist and held her tightly against him. "I'm very glad to hear that." He leaned forward some more and whispered in her ear. "And there is no need for you to worry about tonight. You will enjoy it, I promise."

And Sierra believed him.

* * *

Richard stared up at the mountains with some regret. Their week of travel was done, and tomorrow they would arrive at Seth's mountain home. Richard had wanted the trip to take longer than it had, but now that Seth and Sierra were mates, Seth couldn't wait to get back to his home and introduce her to everyone.

Richard didn't begrudge them their happiness. He wished them all the happiness in the world; but he was going to miss the couple, and Little Blue and Mohkem, even if he hadn't known Mohkem for very long.

_I wonder, would Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Lilianna believe me if I told them that I knew what it was like to have a child move away?_

Granted, Richard and Sakura had never had any children of their own, thought not for lack of trying. For some reason unknown to Richard or Sakura, she'd never been able to conceive. As a result, they wound up adopting anyone and everyone that joined the Troupe as their own, and loved them as they would love their own children.

_Not that most of them realize it,_ Richard thought wryly. But that was okay. It was just life.

Looking back over the crowd that sat around the fire, Richard was just in time to notice Sierra slipping away from the group. Seth noticed seconds later, and moved to follow. Richard caught his eyes however, and motioned for him to stay. He would see what, if anything, was the matter with Sierra.

Seth nodded his acceptance and sat back down, so Richard stood and wandered slowly to where Sierra was. She was standing some distance away, staring at the sunset. Coming up behind her, Richard asked, "Are you missing home, lass?"

Sierra jumped slightly, startled by the sound of his voice. She looked at him with a rueful smile. "A little bit, I guess."

"Do you regret leaving?" he asked.

Sierra shook her head. "Oh, no, I'd never regret staying with Seth."

"But…" Richard prompted her.

Sierra hesitated before replying. "Do you know why Yuki hated my father?"

Richard was somewhat surprised by this turn of questioning. "No, I can't say that I do. No one ever told me."

"Before Father met Mother, he and Yuki were…lovers, I guess. After Father met Mother, however, he left Yuki. What he didn't know was that Yuki was pregnant."

Sierra looked up at him, her eyes filled with sorrow. "She had a son, Kovu. I met him after I was captured; actually, he was the one she sent to get me. I don't know what she did to him over the years, but I know she hurt him. Kovu seemed to care about me some, though. He said we were alike. He saved me when I was hurt, but then he disappeared."

Sierra looked away to the sunset. "It doesn't seem fair to me. He has suffered more than any of my family, and yet he's the one who isn't getting a happy ending."

Richard wrapped and arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle hug. "I would say your statement isn't quite correct."

A puzzled look crossed her face. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think any member of your family is getting a happy ending."

Sierra looked stumped by his statement. "You're going to have to explain that one to me."

"The way I see it, there are no endings in life, only new beginnings. Even death, if you think about it, is only the start of a whole new adventure. The only places you'll find endings in are stories. So Kovu has not been given an unhappy end secluded from everyone; he has been given a chance to live without Yuki, a chance to start a new life, and to get past whatever tortures she may have put him through."

"I think I see what you mean," Sierra said slowly. A wide grin spread across her face, and Richard thought that she truly did see. She hugged him. "Thank you Richard, for everything. But could I ask one more favor of you?"

"Of course lass, ask away."

"If you ever meet Kovu in your travels, will you welcome him in your Troupe? I don't know what he'll be like, really. But could you open a place for him? He needs someone that will care about him."

Richard nodded. "I promise lass, we'll always have a spot open for him. It might help though if you told me what he looks like, that way I'll know him when I see him."

Sierra gave him a quick description. "I'll keep my eye out for him," he promised. "Now, we'd best get back to the others. I promised Little Blue another rendition of the Ballad of the Brainy Duck tonight, and the girl will be upset if I don't keep my promise."

Sierra smiled and accepted the arm he offered. "Lead on then. We mustn't keep her waiting."

Richard led the way back to the fire and Sierra left him to reclaim her place beside Seth. Richard smiled at the sight of their happiness; theirs and everyone else's in the Troupe. This was as it should be.

* * *

THE END. Well, almost. Only the epilogue is left to go. You will be happy to know that I already have a beginning written for it (yay for typing on school computers!), but my weekend schedule is pretty full, so don't expect the epilogue until sometime next week.

See you then!


	27. Epilogue

Sierra had been jittery with excitement all day long. Soon now she would get to see her family for the first time in four years. She had wanted to visit them sooner, but circumstances, and Seth, had prevented that.

It had only been a few months after becoming Seth's mate that Sierra had gotten pregnant. Seth had become ridiculously overprotective during that time, some days refusing to let her step foot out of the house, so travelling to see her family had been completely out of the question.

Unfortunately, her family had been unable to visit her either. Business had kept them all firmly rooted in the West.

However, just before it was time for her to give birth, the Troupe had come for a visit. Sierra had been happy to see them, though she had been somewhat disappointed when Richard told her he hadn't found Kovu. She had been very excited to find out that during her absence, Ai and Agol had married.

The Troupe had insisted on staying until after Sierra's baby had been born, so they were present when she gave birth to her son.

It was dragon yokai tradition that one would choose one's own name, and Sierra had planned to stick with that tradition, though she really didn't want to. However, upon seeing the baby Richard had declared, "That boy is an Alistair."

"An Alistair?" Sierra had asked.

"That's right. I've met me several Alistairs in my life, and that boy is an Alistair or I'm an old woman!"

Sierra had liked the name, and had decided until her son said otherwise, she would call him Alistair, though she had yet to get Richard to tell her about these other Alistairs he had known.

Thinking about her son's birth made Sierra turn her eyes to him now where Little Blue was entertaining him on the wagon floor with some blocks.

Alistair was just barely three years old, and in Sierra's opinion, he was the cutest toddler alive. He was small and a little chubby, but he was quickly losing the rolls of baby fat that he'd had since birth. He had the claws and fangs of all yokai, though his weren't really sharp yet. His eyes were the same dark shade of blue as Seth's, and his facial structure had also come straight from his father.

His hair however, consisted of silky, straight, silver locks, and came from his grandfather. Sierra had insisted that his hair grow out long, though dragon yokai tended to keep it cut short as long hair could get in the way of flying. His wings were the same silver color as his hair, but he was lacking the tail that other dragon yokai had. This caused Seth some concern, Sierra knew, as the tail was apparently very important to flying. They were not certain Alistair would be able to fly without it.

Other than his hair, Alistair had inherited one other thing from Sesshomaru, and that was the crescent moon shaped mark on his forehead. Sierra had a feeling that Sesshomaru would be pleased with the resemblance that Alistair bore to him.

No longer content to sit on the wagon seat beside Seth, Sierra crawled inside the wagon to sit by her children who had just finished painstakingly stacking the blocks into a tower.

Alistair grinned at her. "Momma, look!" Then he proceeded to knock down the tower of blocks. The resulting rattle threw him into a fit of giggles.

"Tell him if he loses those blocks Richard made him, he's going to get upset," Seth called over his shoulder.

"Richard won't care. He'd like an excuse to give him more," Sierra replied. It was true, too. The Troupe had happened to stop by for a visit not long before the time Sierra and Seth had planned to leave in order to visit her family, so Richard had offered to escort them to the West, and the Troupe was going to be staying at the palace with them, which was sure to make the visit very interesting.

Though the Troupe dotted in Alistair, they were always careful to include Little Blue in the proceedings as well. No one wanted her to feel left out, but it didn't look like there would be much to worry about. Little Blue enjoyed dotting on Alistair as much as anyone else.

"Do you think Grandpapa and Grandmamma will be excited to meet Alistair?" Little Blue asked. Despite Sierra's best efforts, Little Blue couldn't seem to get in the habit of calling Sesshomaru and Lilianna Grandmother and Grandfather, as Sierra knew Sesshomaru would prefer.

"I think they will be very happy to meet Alistair," Sierra told her. "And I'm sure they'll enjoy getting to spend more time with you too."

Little Blue looked pleased at the prospect. It hadn't taken her very long to forgive Sesshomaru for insulting Seth those years ago.

"We're at the city," Seth called back.

Sierra excitedly went to where he was and looked over his shoulder. They were passing through the gates at that moment. Sierra was fairly glowing with excitement when she turned to her children. "We're almost at the palace!"

Little Blue clapped her hands and Alistair, who really had no idea what was going on, started to hop up and down with excitement. Soon, though not soon enough, Sierra could hear the gates of the palace opening. As soon as the wagon rolled to a stop, she scooped Alistair up in her arms and hopped off the back of the wagon, Little Blue right behind her.

Besides her immediate family, Sierra also spotted Inuyasha and Kagome. She was both surprised and pleased by this. She hadn't expected them to be there.

There was a round of hugs from her brothers, and from Kagome and Inuyasha who scolded her for not telling them she had a mate.

"Couldn't you have at least written a letter or something?" Kagome complained.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Kagome, I didn't think of it," Sierra said.

Kagome's eyes landed on the small form that was huddled in Sierra's arms. "Who is this?"

Sierra smiled with pride. "This is Alistair, my son. Alistair, can you say hi to Aunt Kagome?"

Alistair responded by burying his face deeper into Sierra's shoulder.

"I take it he's not fond of strangers," Kagome said.

"Not overly," Sierra conceded. She moved towards her parents, whom she had yet to speak to.

Lilianna smiled at her. "I'm glad you are finally back to visit us. I'm sorry we could not visit you."

Sierra smiled back. "I understand. I'm glad to be here."

Lilianna's attention switched to Alistair. "I don't suppose he'll let me hold him?"

Sierra looked down at Alistair who was peering up at the adults with one eye while most of his face remained hidden. "Probably not," Sierra said. "It takes him a little while to warm up to new people."

No sooner than Sierra finished speaking, Alistair sat up straight, staring intently at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru met the child's gaze with a raised eye brow. Then a brilliant smile appeared on Alistair's face and he pointed at Sesshomaru's head. "Moon!" he declared. Then he pointed at his own forehead. "Moon!" He looked up at Sierra for conformation.

Sierra ruffled his hair fondly. "That's right, Alistair. You both have moons on your foreheads. That's because he's my dad, and your grandpapa."

Alistair studied her seriously as he considered her words. Sierra had been explaining the concept to him on the whole trip, but she wasn't sure he had grasped it yet. She knew that he understood Gohen and Aurora were his grandparents, but Seth's parents, and she hoped he'd be able to connect that concept to this situation.

Alistair looked from Sierra to Sesshomaru and Lilianna, and then to Seth, and then back to Sesshomaru and Lilianna. He pointed a finger at Sesshomaru and cautiously said, "Gampy?"

Sierra was pleased. "That's right, he's Grandpapa. And that is Grandmamma."

Alistair cocked his head towards Lilianna. "Gammy?"

"That's right."

Alistair looked floored at the thought of having two sets of grandparents, but his face soon broke into a smile. To him, grandparents were a source of love and fun, so having more couldn't be a bad thing.

"Can I hold you Alistair?" Lilianna asked when she saw his welcoming smile.

Alistair nodded. "Yes!" he said and reached his arms out for her.

Sierra relinquished him and smiled when he snuggled into Lilianna's embrace.

"Gampy?" Sesshomaru asked with a touch of annoyance in his tone.

"He's only three, Father. He can't quite pronounce Grandpapa yet."

Sierra felt a slight tug on her sleeve. She glanced back to see Little Blue shyly hiding behind her. Little Blue wasn't normally shy with people, but even though she had been excited about the trip, she hadn't seen Sesshomaru or Lilianna for four years, and she hadn't really gotten to know them the first time she met them.

Sierra was relieved when Lilianna caught sight of her and crouched down to Little Blue's height. Holding out one arm, she asked, "Can I get a hug from you too, granddaughter?"

Losing her shyness, Little Blue fairly flew into Lilianna's embrace. Little Blue kissed her cheek and said, "I'm happy to be here, Grandmamma."

"I'm glad to hear that, Little Blue." Lilianna lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper that could still be heard by everyone. "You'll have to forgive your Grandpapa. He doesn't talk much."

Little Blue giggled as she glanced at Sesshomaru, and then back at Lilianna. "That's okay. Daddy says I talk enough for everyone."

The crowd moved inside, and Sierra found herself walking beside Isamu. She linked arms with her cousin. "Good, I've found someone who can tell me all the gossip. How has it been here since I've been gone?"

"Busy," Isamu replied. "About like it always is I suppose."

"How have you been?" Sierra asked. "Do you and Shen have any children yet?" she asked with a note of teasing.

Isamu shook her head. "No, not yet. We've been enjoying our peace a little too much for children." A wistful look crossed her face. "But we have been talking about it. I think I'd really like to have some of my own."

"It certainly brings a lot of joy," Sierra mused. "But you are correct in assuming you won't have a moment's peace once they come; nor privacy either. Where's Ran though? I haven't seen her here."

"She had to remain in the village," Isamu told her. "She married Masashi, Miroku and Sango's eldest son. She gave birth to twins about seven months ago now, and didn't want to travel with them yet."

"That's wonderful!" Sierra said, and though her happiness was genuine, a part of her was sad as well. It was true that while Ran did have some yokai blood in her, it wasn't much. She would live longer than the average human yes, but not very much longer. A part of Sierra had hoped that Ran would also mate a yokai so she wouldn't have to deal with the loss of her cousin.

_If Ran is happy with her choice, than I am happy as well._

Sierra had one more pressing question to ask, however. "How is Rai?" she asked. "Is he doing well?"

Isamu nodded. "From what I've seen. He grieved much in the beginning, but that is to be expected. He seems to be moving on now, putting the past behind him."

Sierra felt relieved. "I am glad to hear it."

The day passed in a pleasant blur, filled with news, gossip, food, and happiness. When it finally came time to turn in for the night, Sierra was exhausted, but joyful. The day had been pure bliss.

"Thank you for letting me come," she said to Seth as she slipped into the bed beside him.

Seth slid his arms around her and nestled her close. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

"I love you Seth," she said before slipping into the realm of dreams.

"I love you too," Seth replied, kissing the top of her head.

* * *

Richard watched the green hills roll by from where he sat in the lead wagon of the caravan. He and the Troupe had remained at the palace for a week before leaving, though Seth and Sierra were going to remain for some time longer.

Sakura placed a hand on his back. "Don't worry about him Richard. He'll come back. He always does."

Richard nodded absentmindedly. "I know that, Sakura, but it doesn't stop me from worrying about him till he's bloody well here."

Relief swept through him when an hour later a lone figure emerged from the hills in front of them. Richard grinned and waved widely, receiving a much smaller wave in response from Kovu.

Richard hated lying to Sierra about him; questions about Kovu were always Sierra's first words every time she saw Richard; but he had little choice.

Kovu had appeared to Richard about a week after the Troupe had left the Sky King clan where they had dropped off the newlywed couple. As it turned out, Kovu had been following them the whole time. He had eavesdropped on Richard's conversation with Sierra, and had only shown himself to Richard because Sierra had wanted Kovu to stay with him.

Richard had expected Kovu to have issues from what Sierra had told them; he hadn't imagined the depth of Kovu's torment, however.

Kovu had had a hard time interacting with people, but he had trouble with women especially. Even now, after four years with the Troupe, there were few people he was willing to speak to, and Sakura and Ai were the only females in that group.

Kovu had had nightmares every night when he first stayed with them; he never spoke of them, and had never cried out, but Richard had been able to tell by the restless way he slept. Thankfully, his nightmares were few and far between now.

Kovu had also had a habit of disappearing for days on end, waiting for everyone else to eat before getting food, and refusing to look anyone in the eyes.

Still, for all of Kovu's awkwardness and difficulties, he was starting to get better finally. The fact that he could trust any woman was a step in the right direction. Kovu would never be talkative, but he was talking some, and he could now look people in the face when he spoke.

Kovu hopped up lightly on the wagon as they rolled past. Seating himself beside Sakura, Kovu asked, "How was she?"

To Richard, this was the biggest enigma. Kovu had made it clear that if Richard dared to tell Sierra anything about him, Richard would never see him again. However, after a visit with Sierra Kovu wanted to know every little detail about her, though he never bothered to ask about the other members of his family.

"She's doing well," Richard replied. "She was fairly bursting with excitement at the thought of being able to see her family again, and especially to introduce Alistair."

Kovu nodded. "She is still happy?"

"Very much so," Richard replied.

Kovu said nothing, but Richard could tell he was pleased. He brushed back stray hair from his face causing Richard to remember that when Kovu had first arrived his hair had been cut short, but now was nearing the same length as Sesshomaru's.

As a matter of fact, there was a lot about Kovu that reminded Richard of the Lord of the West. His looks, his silences, even some of his expressions were reminiscent of the boy's father, though Richard doubted that Kovu was aware of this fact. No one who had met Sesshomaru could ever mistake Kovu for anything but his son.

"Kovu," Sakura said quietly. They had discovered that he responded better to soft gentle tones than any other. "Why won't you let us tell Sierra that you're safe when you worry over her so much? She worries about you as well."

Kovu glanced at her, and looked away. "Because word of my existence and whereabouts would get to Sesshomaru. Not right away, and possibly not even on purpose, but it would get to him, and that's something I wish to avoid."

Kovu's words were true enough. Really, Richard was surprised they'd kept Kovu a secret as long as they had; they'd always been forced to prepare with long and through baths, as well as meals liberally cooked with garlic to make sure his scent was undetectable on them when they were going to visit anyone with yokai senses. Still, Richard half thought that even with all their precautions that Sesshomaru suspected something.

Sesshomaru had never said anything; that wasn't the enigmatic Lord's way. But there had been moments, certain looks, which made Richard feel that Sesshomaru knew far more about the true situation than anyone could guess. Whether this was true or Richard being paranoid, he had no way of knowing.

"Why do you not want to get to know Sesshomaru?" Sakura asked. "He is your father, after all."

Kovu shook his head. "He has never been a father to me; nor would he want to be. I am an illegitimate half breed. I would be an embarrassment to him, nothing more. He would never truly care about me."

Kovu looked down before continuing. "Besides…I count Richard as my father. Why should I want another?" He glanced up shyly at Sakura. "And I count you as my mother."

Sakura's eyes went misty with tears, and Richard felt some in his own eyes as well. Kovu had given them the highest compliment that anyone possibly could. He had picked them to be his parents.

"We would be honored to count you as our son," Richard said thickly.

Kovu smiled, and Richard vaguely thought he should smile more often. It made the scar on his face much less noticeable. It also made the scars in his eyes all but disappear.

* * *

A wind blew in from the east, sweeping over the beach, through forests and villages. It travelled across the lands, never staying in one place for more than a few moments.

It tugged playfully on the hair of a young woman who was doing laundry while her infant twins napped in the shade. It swept by her husband who was patrolling with his father and brothers.

It moved on, covering miles in mere moments, and wound its way through a small wagon train; misfits whose only home was with each other; people who wandered just as much as the wind.

It left the travelers, and came to a palace where a strange family was enjoying their time together; not knowing when they would meet again once the vacation was over.

The wind did not know that these people were all connected by invisible strings that bind tighter than any chain. The wind did not know what the future would hold for them, any more than they did. All that is certain is that they will experience pain and loss, love and joy. For the biggest certainty in life is uncertainty.

**THE END**

* * *

I can't believe I'm done. I feel really sad actually. But I'm also really happy and excited that I finished this. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorated, or just read my story. I really appreciate it all, and I'm happy you've stuck with me to the very end (even when I took far to long to update).

You all mean a lot to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!


End file.
